Can't start

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Edited by Robb - 30 Dec 2020 at 20:26

marigold wrote: So the week before the Championship play off final Sarries have a mass outbreak of Covid-19, are unable to put a team out for either play off match and therefore Ealing are awarded the automatic promotion place.....discuss

Surely having trialled it with the womens pro15's that format woud be used - a 3 yr licence to be in th prem based upon meeting certain crteria which include but are not limited to on field results

Raider999 wrote: Watched the Bristol v Newcastle today (nearly missed it as the 19:30 ko became 15:00) During the commentary the thoughts that there 'might not be any relegation from the premiership this season' were aired - what wasn't mentioned was whether there would be any promotion or not.

My New Years prediction.The pundits and Premier Clubs want a 14 team Premiership ringfenced after promoting Saracens and another "London" Club Ealing. It is going to be a fix and the RFU will not object because it suites the England team set up. Jones needs the Saracens players playing Premier Rugby. Ealing to share ground with Quins with their 300 live supporters made up with cardboard fans on seats.

Whilst i love the end of season excitement that relegation brings in some years, it is surely the sensible thing to do for the next 3 seasons to have no relegation from the Premiership. Outside of Saracens and Ealing no other Championship club has anywhere near the financial resources required to exist in the Premiership. No relegation would mean that the Premiership and Championship clubs could much more easily seek to operate within their resources. What is exciting me at the moment is the number of good young English players getting a chance in the premiership due to Covid-eg the Wasps half backs and the 21 year old Bristol hooker who yesterday was man of the match on his Premiership debut. Taking away the threat of relegation would allow clubs to give even more opportunities to these players rather than feel the need to import from the southern hemisphere to avoid the dire financial consequences of relegation.

"I bet you my shirt, my house, my car, my pets etc that the Prem won't be ring-fenced with Sarries outside the fence..."

islander wrote: Raider999 wrote: islander wrote: Raider999 wrote: Watched the Bristol v Newcastle today (nearly missed it as the 19:30 ko became 15:00) During the commentary the thoughts that there 'might not be any relegation from the premiership this season' were aired - what wasn't mentioned was whether there would be any promotion or not. <div id="ypm-extension" ="ypm-extension"> Yes, I watched. They (BT Sport) were flagging that this topic will be discussed in their 'Rugby Tonight' slot on Sunday at 5.15pm after Tiggers v Barf. I will set a recording - it seems that ring-fencing is rising to the surface again - with or without Saracens remains to be seen. <div id="ypm-extension" ="ypm-extension"> I bet you my shirt, my house, my car, my pets etc that the Prem won't be ring-fenced with Sarries outside the fence...

Unfair as it may be, I very much agree with you, the Premiership will be ring-fenced with Saracens added (wether or not they play a game this season).

The big question is will there also be a 14th team and if not will championship sides take the decision to court?

A challenge to what end? What waste even more money they do not have? Do Doncaster or any other Championship club other than Saracens and possibly Ealing have the financial resources to not be an embarrassing addition to the Premiership? Remember London Welsh losing every game in a Premiership season? Ask any of the players from that squad what kind of season that was.

ST you have answered your own question -they are the only ones who can afford to even stand a chance of putting a squad together that will not be heavily beaten every week and thus be an embarrassment to the competition. All current Premiership teams, even those at the bottom end of the table, contain players of proven international calibre. Doncaster, Pirates or Jersey each only have a handful of players with some Premiership experience and have nowhere near the financial means to pay for players of the calibre required to be competitive.