Jersey v london Irish

What with all those rich tax exiles on the island you wouldn't be able to find a clutch of benefactors...realising that most folk who live there are not multi-millionaires I guess that would be a big problem, as those who reside there for tax purposes probably have no interest in rugby.

Westcoaster wrote: Others with a sensible view will be along shortly, cue Islander, but the hardest criteria we'd ever have to meet would surely be the bums on seats for travelling supporters. As in not enough seats on planes and ferries - maybe hotel beds too. Say a Prem Club wanted to send 6 or 7000 fans over for a long weekend to see their team beaten by the Reds . Thats an awful lot of A320 planes and ferry seats when there 's only a few hundred on regular flights and crossings available.. We struggled to find 1000 beds for London irish early this season, hence match postponement. So how would be cope with a proper large influx of travelling support. And lets not go getting ahead of ourselves. Jersey are nowhere near winning anything yet. The team's playing well but lets see where we are come late February, and then have this chat !  There's the "small matter" of Ealing this afternoon and crucially in the league on 22nd December. Mind you would be something to behold one day: a fleet of chartered A 380s and Dreamliners incoming for a Saturday game here in front of 12,000.  Pause to watch flying bacon past the window......

Your runway is far too short for that Westcoaster Even an A320 is pushing it, fully loaded. You could extend across to Le Port, that should do it, but mind the reservoir.

Nice idea raider.... so what could we have: a couple of noisy boats full of Wasps and Tigers, a colourful few for Quins, Saracen raiders would have to have dhows or Crusader craft.  Northampton could only come for Sunday games with their flotilla of Saints; Worcester Warriors would be in warships, and of course there's be a boat for Sale Chiefs would have a posh boat or three.  Who've I missed out, Bath, Bristol, Gloucester, Newcastle.  They all feature rivers in their cities so maybe they could come direct i subs........

Others with a sensible view will be along shortly, cue Islander, but the hardest criteria we'd ever have to meet would surely be the bums on seats for travelling supporters. As in not enough seats on planes and ferries - maybe hotel beds too. Say a Prem Club wanted to send 6 or 7000 fans over for a long weekend to see their team beaten by the Reds . Thats an awful lot of A320 planes and ferry seats when there 's only a few hundred on regular flights and crossings available.. We struggled to find 1000 beds for London irish early this season, hence match postponement. So how would be cope with a proper large influx of travelling support.

Westcoaster wrote: "Do we assume from this that Jersey have no ambition to be a Premiership club?" Stalwart, of course not, I was commenting on player contracts, nothing else.  I'm sure Jersey would love to be a Premiership Club but would need to meet a long list of criteria, and some odd ones caused by the English Channel

They often do pay compensation, however most Championship clubs have 1 or 2 year contracts, so the players often get signed by Premiership clubs once they have expired resulting in no transfer fee.

Prem clubs don’t pay compensation do they? It’s a meat factory. If you don’t come then they will move onto the next one who will.

Westcoaster wrote: Don't think that a 3 year contract would work i.e. it wouldn't protect a Championship Club from those above with large cheque books. Look at James Voss, recently of Jersey. He'd not long signed up for another season here when Tigers came knocking on the door, made him an offer he couldn't refuse and he was gone in a week.  If a Prem Club wants someone, they will pay to break a contract. We may not like it but we can hardly stand in the way of a player who has ambitions to go to the top.  Le Booj at Bedford now Wasps is another example. I used to be concerned like you Spy 62242 (can't remember your numbers ! )that we were always losing our best players, but this is professional rugby. Anyone who is good enough to be in the Premiership or a top French club etc is going to be spotted and approached. Better IMO to accept this and enjoy the fact that Jersey has a growing reputation as an excellent feeder club if you're good enough, and its not a bad place to spend a season or two learning your trade

islander wrote: The Championship is a stepping stone; one of the selling points for potential recruits to Jersey, apart from being able to go to the beach on summer afternoons after pre-season training, is the track record of players going up to the top level - approx a dozen in past 2 seasons... Pirates have recently talked about bringing in 3-year contracts - once the S4C is built - so that Prem clubs can't 'pinch' players in this way. Time will tell whether one can 'ring-fence' a squad successfully in that way.

Wow! That’s the elephant kicked out of the room. Spot on Islander and I really wish CP luck in their exciting new adventure. Perhaps one day Jersey Reds will be in the same position.