This weekend's Championship shocker evidence RFU must now act
2023 is the most important year for rugby in England. The previous three have been the most damaging so, perhaps naturally, the emergence from the wreckage is key. And while many will feel I’m talking about the top, the place where so many eyes are drawn, I am not. What the governing body decides to do with the Championship is a far more crucial decision.
This weekend, you won’t have scrolled too far on social media without seeing the news that Caldy beat Ealing Trailfinders. It was sporting manna from heaven: the plucky upstart felling the experienced giant; Scouse Davey’s haymaker catching the capital Goliath’s jutting chin.
Now let’s get one thing straight. Ealing are a good side. One the Championship are lucky to have. They have been magnanimous in defeat and never take the league for granted. Ben Ward will tell you till he’s blue in the face how hard he has to work his men to win like they do each week. And 99 times out of 100 they beat Caldy. But sport, as Dave Brailsford will often say, is about the 1 per cent. That’s where the joy sits. Where hope settles. And from where Caldy’s stinking hangover emanates.
Below is footage of Caldy’s winning score. Clunky though it is from a single wide camera angle, high up in the stands, complete with overly loud ref’s mic. But observe the unbridled joy. Not of the players, hooping and hollering at their keystone score, but beyond the dead ball line, beyond the pitch. A group of dancing youngsters who bound into view. Delirious at having seen what they’ve seen; at having watched their team do the unthinkable. It makes your heart leap. For sport is so often in the eye of the beholder. Woods, Stokes, Chloe Kelly last summer: we do not delight so much in the skill, than in the rapture of everyone who witnessed it, themselves included.
𝗦.𝗖.𝗘.𝗡.𝗘.𝗦 #ChampRugby @CaldyRFC pic.twitter.com/OD1J0fiMvk
— Championship Rugby (@Champrugby) January 7, 2023
But why is 2023 so important? Because the RFU has a huge chance to make a good decision. And my word it needs some of those. There are too many good sides in England’s second tier to keep on ignoring them. The rugby alone would interest any try-scoring advocate. But they do it all on a shoestring. And have continued to do so for a while. Surely some reward is due for just staying alive?
You cannot say that about the fabled thirteen of the Premiership. Money troubles are everywhere at the moment but the second tier of English rugby has kept its powder dry. The prize it seems is to welcome two clubs who were unable to do that on the more lucrative and well imbursed floor above. Hartpury, Bedford, Coventry et al will smile sweetly as Worcester and Wasps are given a spot at the table they have worked so hard to stay at.
But with these two potential additions, how much more the narrative grows? We need to widen the berth of rugby in this country; we need to be talking about the Jerseys and the Nottinghams of this land as much as the Harlequins and the Leicesters.
We need to broadcast this. Get a weekly show together on the BBC. Just put it on iPlayer for all I care. We digest most of our TV on record anyway. Invest a million pounds into a highlights show that gets the word out there. Don’t worry about making any money back off sponsors or rights, just put a chunk of money into getting rugby into people’s sitting rooms. That million pounds will quickly turn into £2 million return for the clubs. Increased exposure means slowly but surely more people start showing up. More and more people start saying to each other on a Monday morning – “have you seen the Donny Pirates game yet? It’s a cracker!”
Get footage shared on social media. Get the big RFU channels to push things out. So much of sport is now digested on your phone. England Rugby Facebook sharing tries of the week from the Championship (I know, I can’t believe this doesn’t happen already!) would do wonders. Not in the short term, but slowly and surely; it would work.
I’ve said this before but when a brand like Coca-Cola bring out a new drink, they don’t expect people to just hand over their money and drink it. They send millions of cans out into supermarket giveaways for free. They know they have to get it out there if there is any chance they will sell it in the future. The RFU have previously baulked at giving away the rights to Championship Rugby for free but you can’t expect someone to pay for anything they’ve not already tried. This is the decision they need to make in 2023. Get the Championship (their top league) out to people. Then you will start to see what it is worth to investors, not the other way around.
I’m sure there will be many who have stakes in lower league rugby or grassroots rugby who will respond to this request with ‘what about us?’ It is true. The Champ is only one of many areas of the game the governing body needs to help. But we need to start somewhere. And if the Champ investment proves a success then other areas will benefit.
I hope this happens. Not for me, or those involved in or already following Championship rugby teams. But for the kids bounding around behind the posts in Caldy. Because they are who this sport is really about.
Comments on RugbyPass
Hats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
1 Go to commentsSad that this was not confirmed. When administrators talk about expanding the game they evidently don’t include pathways to the top tier of rugby for teams outside of the old boys club. Rugby deserves better, and certainly Georgia does.
1 Go to commentsLions might take him on if they move on Van Rooyen but I doubt he will want to go back, might consider it a step backwards for himself. Sharks would take him on but if Plumtree goes on to win the challenge cup they will keep him on. Also sharks showing some promising signs recently. Stormers and Bulls are stable and Springboks are already filled up. Quality coach though, interesting to see where he ends up
1 Go to commentsAnd the person responsible for creating a culture of accountability is?
2 Go to commentsMore useless words from Ben Smith -Please get another team to write about. SA really dont need your input, it suck anyway.
264 Go to commentsThis disgraceful episode must result in management and coach team sackings. A new manager with worse results than previous and the coaching staff need to coached. Awful massacre led by donkeys.
1 Go to commentsInteresting article with one glaring mistake. This sentence: “And between the top four nations right now, Ireland, France, South Africa, and New Zealand…” should read: And between the top four nations right now, South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and France…”. Get it right wistful thinkers, its not that hard.
23 Go to commentsHow did Penny get the gig anyway?
2 Go to commentsNice write up Nick and I would have agreed a week ago. However as you would know Cale & co got absolutely monstered by the Blues back row of Sotutu, Ioane and Papaliti and not all of these 3 are guaranteed a start in the Black jumper. He may need to put some kgs before stepping up, Spring tour? After the week end Joe will be a bit more restless. Will need to pick a mobile tough pack for Wales and hope England does the right thing and bashes the ABs. I like your last paragraph but I would bring Swinton, Hannigan into the 6 role and Bobby V to 8
21 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can still get in to the Play Off’s. The imminent return of outstanding captain Scott Barrett and his All Black team mate Codie Taylor will be a big boost.There are others like Tamaiti Williams too. Two home games coming up. Fellow Crusader fans get there and support these guys. I will be.
1 Go to commentsCant get more Wellington than Proctor.
2 Go to commentsWhy not let the media decide. Like how they choose the head coach. Like most of us we entrust the rugby system to choose. A rugby team includes the coaches. It's collective.
13 Go to commentsHi NIck, I have been very impressed with him and he seems a smart player who can see opportunities which Bobby V _(who must be an international 6_) doesn’t see or have the speed to take advantage of. If he continues to improve and puts on 5kgs then he could be a great 8. He is a bit taller than Keiran Reid at 1.93m and 111 kgs, so his skill set fits his body size and who knows where it will lead. I hope the spate of Achilles tendon issues have been dealt with by the S&C people. It’s been a very long time since Mark Loane and Kefu stood out at 8. The question is will we be able to hold onto him, if he does make it he will be pretty hot property. I disagree with the idea of letting them go to the Northern Hemisphere and then bring them back.
21 Go to commentsBilly Fulton 🤣🤣🤣🤣 garrrmon not even close
13 Go to commentsDoes the AI take into account refs? hahaha Seriously why not have two on field refs to avoid bias?
23 Go to commentsVern challenging this Blues side might be the edge they need to fulfill their potential. Convincing results from strong D and strong carries are hard to argue against.
1 Go to commentsLove seems to add a strong back field defense with speed to close the gap and tackle to his ability to attack, kick and pass (an accurate long pass). This sets him an edge over some of the other names - JRK in particular. Has to be said that Jordan and Stevenson have also been exposed defensively while Love has yet to face test match intensity. Spoilt for choice.
1 Go to commentsHe’s strung together a few strong seasons, I’d like to see him in the ABs and build some depth along with Reiko and ALB. Levi Aumua hasn’t taken the step we hoped to see but time yet.
2 Go to commentsWhere has our good friend Pecos gone!? Similar place to the Crusaders D, the abyss.
4 Go to commentsNice piece Nick. I haven’t seen much of the brumbies this year so will keep my powder dry on charlie, but clearly has the speed and footwork to be damaging in space. Similar to Samu, I’d worry about the size of our pack if the likes of Mcreight and Cale were in the b/row together. Maybe Cale could play a similar finisher role like Samu did for Rennie’s wallabies. Has Cale leapfrogged wilson in your eyes? He obviously has the lineout, but harry probably better (although not great) in the physical stuff and also has great hands in the loose. You’d have to say mcreight and valetini are shoe-ins at 7/8, so the question becomes who matches best with them at 6 and on the bench. I don’t know if he has a high enough ceiling, but id love to see wright given a shot based on how much bad luck he has had with injuries. He may also fit that no-nonsense graft/work rate irish approach…? If schmidt wants size and a 4/6 tweener then I’d probably pick Uru. On the bench I’d have no idea, Wilson if you want to give valetini a rest, and maybe hanigan/wright/uru as 6 replacements.
21 Go to comments