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Post by donnylad on Dec 3, 2023 19:51:48 GMT
I may have posted this before in another place but Doncaster Knights ground and facilities were deemed good enough to play 6 Nations U-20 and other internationals, women's internationals and the like by the RFU etc. There were more spectators at some of those matches than might be at some Preiership events.
However the Premier League didn't fancy a trip up the A1 and simply blocked the application. I suspect the absence of 5 star hotels and shopping malls nearby also had something to do with it.
Like Trailfinders, the Knights did not have the 'old boys' network to push behind the scenes and splash the G & T. In addition the league had legal resources way beyond anything the applicant clubs can possess. Unless of course they are backed by some dodgy, dark horse mixture of shell and holding companies and we have seen where that can lead.
It may be that Knights are simply better off where they are, looking at the happenings at some of these 'well run' approved clubs.
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Post by newby on Dec 3, 2023 22:38:17 GMT
Knights are as you say probably better off where they are in terms of the club itself and providing recreation, entertainment and pleasure to their players, supporters and former players, but, without the chance of promotion you feel there is something missing.
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Post by davemorton on Dec 4, 2023 11:49:28 GMT
When the Courage Leagues started, in 1987, the top 12 clubs were, in order of finishing: Leicester, Wasps, Harlequins, Bath, Gloucester, Orrell, Moseley, Nottingham, Bristol, Waterloo, Coventry, Sale.
The bottom two were relegated, and replaced by Rosslyn Park and Liverpool St Helens.
36 years of evolution have worked their magic. Wasps have fallen to greed and mismanagement, Orrell put their faith in one millionaire, Waterloo just allowed themselves to dwindle, and Liverpool St Helens never amounted to much anyway. Moseley, Nottingham, Coventry and Rosslyn Park continue at levels 2 or 3.
Division 2 in 1987 comprised: Rosslyn Park and LSH, as we have seen, Saracens, Headingley, Richmond, Bedford, London Scottish, London Irish, London Welsh, Gosforth, Blackheath, Northampton.
Headingley and Gosforth morphed into Leeds and Newcastle, Irish we know about, the others all continue.
Exeter in 1987 were in Division 3, along with Fylde, Sheffield and Wakefield (now deceased).
To me, the changing names are a sign of the league system working. Ring-fence it, and it doesn't work. Northampton are a case in point. Pre-leagues they were hopeless, living on a name from the past, retaining their traditional fixture list because of their history. Now they had to do something, or they would be playing against people they had never heard of. They did something. Eventually.
Doncaster in 1987 were in Yorkshire 2, level 10, same as Ilkley, and two levels below Sedgley's North West 2; and we got promoted that first season.
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Post by davemorton on Dec 8, 2023 12:55:38 GMT
A big fortnight of European rugby coming up, with the Champion's (Heineken?) Cup now comprising 24 clubs - not all champions, surely! - in four groups of six. Five matches, after which the top four in each group go through. It seems a lot of games just to eliminate 8 clubs, but I suppose it helps reduce 'dead' games, in which teams with no chance might field shadow XVs.
Anyway, it will be the usual French giants v Irish provinces, with the English clubs, Welsh and Scottish franchises, and (ridiculously) the South Africans all making up the numbers, and hoping to get one or two through to the knock-out stages.
There is also the Challenge Cup, for the teams not in the main event, yawn, yawn. Mostly the Welsh and Italians and stuff like that.
There seem to be no fixtures, again, in the English Championship. Is it worth being in it? Already December, and some of them have only played 4 league matches.
Sedgley travel to Plymouth Albion, for what should be the final game of the first half of the season, but isn't, due to last week's postponement. We will do very well to get anything out of this fixture, but we have been competitive so far, one game apart.
Lots of Yorkshire derbies at level 4: Huddersfield v Wharfedale, Ionians v Otley, and Hull v Sheffield. Also Sheffield Tigers v Tynedale, and Rotherham travel to Preston's plastic playground. No Leeds Tykes, because they played Fylde out of turn, a few weeks ago.
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Post by newby on Dec 8, 2023 14:16:38 GMT
Not Rugby of either code but closely linked to both.
Another impressive display by Kevin Sinfield and his supporters in completing 7 Ultra marathons in 7 Cities over 7 days to support his good friend Rob Burrows and MND charities.
Everything was based on Rob's number 7 so the aim was to raise £777,777 pounds for a range of MND charities and Leeds Hospital charities. Fundraising seemed to get off to a slow start and I feared this was one challenge too many in terms of dragging money out of the public.
I needn't have worried Kev's efforts passed the target yesterday and is still rising steadily, taking gift aid into consideration it's not far off £1M at the moment and I'm sure will rise further.
I'm not sure if he still has his job with England but he's a credit to the game and sport in general.
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Post by newby on Dec 8, 2023 22:32:54 GMT
I hope you enjoy the Eurofest, I'm sure it all makes sense, but does it draw in the crowds I wonder.
I'll certainly take an interest in the Sunday meeting of Racing 92 and Harlequins. Racing 92 are coached by Stuart Lancaster, ex of Leeds, England and Leinster.
He's a cricket fan, I've seen him several times at Headingley, quietly watching the cricket in the NE Upper
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Post by davemorton on Dec 9, 2023 0:18:44 GMT
Kevin Sinfield seems to be a very special person. He is still defence coach for England, I think. Another RL man, making the switch as a coach, is Castleford's Lee Radford, and he has turned Northampton Saints from an attacking, but leaky team, into what is beginning to look the real thing. Last week they beat Saracens, away. Tonight, they breached another fortress, Glasgow Warriors' Scotstoun. They absolutely stuffed them in the first half, and though Glasgow came back and denied Saints a try bonus point, they missed out on the losing bonus themselves. I think Glasgow were unbeaten for something like 21 games, at home. No longer! Playing for Glasgow was Johnny Matthews, who was Sedgley's record try-scoring hooker a few years ago. Sedge would have been his first semi-pro club, now he's a Scottish International. No joy today, though. He was subbed shortly after half time. From Sedge, he went to Yorkshire Carnegie / Leeds Tykes. www.wikiwand.com/en/Johnny_Matthews_(rugby_union)Cracking game, played in a continuous downpour, For once, the plastic pitch - which played very well - was beneficial.
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Post by hawke on Dec 10, 2023 11:38:26 GMT
yes Kevin Sinfield is beyond amazing
i was driving through Saddleworth the other week and spotted he and his wife out for a walk which must have seemed like a lie down for him
he is from Oldham originally isn’t he and i think lives in Saddleworth
incredible work
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Post by hawke on Dec 10, 2023 11:41:55 GMT
A winter cough and cold kept me indoors yesterday and prevented me from going out into the dark, windy downpour… it was a horrid afternoon so I missed the local rugby union match..credit to all who played and attended. Alnwick pipped Ilkley by one point which given our relatively lightweight pack and keenness to pass and run with the ball seems closer than it might have been
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Post by davemorton on Dec 10, 2023 14:06:06 GMT
I spent the day watching wall-to-wall European rugby, of which Exeter and Bath provided the highlights. I also enjoyed watching Saracens lose.
I was n9t tempted to go out into the gale and watch Sedgley 2s. Midwinter is for enduring, indoors if possible. We lost 22-3 at Plymouth. No surprise there. Our stato reckons we have played them 11 times, now, and lost all of them. I don't think they are a bogey team (as Tynedale are); they're just better than we are.
In National 2, there were away wins for Wharfedale, Sheffield, Otley and Rotherham. Huddersfield lost at home, again, and so did both Hull clubs. Sheffield Tigers also lost at home, to the aforementioned Tynedale.
I am typing this during halftime in the Sale Sharks v Stade match, which is boring beyond all description. Come on you Frogs! Sale have had about 80% of possession, and all they've done so far is kick it up in the air. Badly. They've got skill and pace on the wings, but George Ford seems not to know this.
Some mouthwatering games to come this aft.
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Post by davemorton on Dec 10, 2023 20:11:39 GMT
Leaving the best until last, Harlequins' win in Paris, against Racing92, was one of the great games of rugby. Saracens were the only English team to lose, of the 8 in the Champions Cup.
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Post by donnylad on Dec 10, 2023 20:41:27 GMT
Monster result for Quins who payed against R92's best available team. A good weekend for the Prem but some of the opposition teams were fairly under strength. Still - good positives there.
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Post by davemorton on Dec 11, 2023 11:14:34 GMT
Different teams (and countries) approach the competition differently. There is no doubt that the Irish Provinces take it most seriously of all. The English Clubs play with one eye on the Prem, and will quickly prioritise this if they lose a couple of Euro games. In this case, they have all won except Saracens, and their defeat was away in S Africa. The French Clubs are even quicker to send weakened teams to away matches. So too the S African Franchises, it seems, who have bigger fish to fry back home...but also great strength in depth. The Welsh and Scots can do what they like, because their franchise teams are no good anyway. Both Cardiff and Glasgow lost at home in the first round of matches. I now fully understand the format. Although there are six teams in each Pool, they only play four matches. The 24 teams comprise 8 each from the English Prem, the French 14, and the URC (which covers all the rest). Therefore there are two from each competition in each pool, and you don't play the other team from your own league. It should mean fewer 'dead' games than previously, especially as (from each pool), top 2 get a home tie in knock out, 3 & 4 have an away tie, 5 drop down to the Challenge competition, and 6 get a holiday! Racing92 v Quins highlights www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgL5aiIrhJE
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Post by newby on Dec 11, 2023 13:47:34 GMT
I do love sport but I'm getting increasing worried about the money and resources being pumped into it at the top level. Here's another example teams flying backwards and forwards to South Africa for one off games.
It just seems a nonsense from my point of view.
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Post by newby on Dec 13, 2023 11:27:03 GMT
Eddie Jones has signed up as Japan's head coach.
Hardly a surprise to anybody but I'd love to know how long Eddie has known it was a done deal.
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