Aviva Premiership: something exciting happens

[tigerburnie]

https://twitter.com/rpetty80/status/157 ... XlbkM8IyRA

Relegation on the cards for Worcester. Probably made to sell the P shares

The "P" shares will be taken up by PRL if Wuss go bust, if they are just relegated and continue in the Championship, then they keep the shares for one year.

[paddyor]

Duhan van Der Merve wouldn't be a bad signing if we need an "injury" joker on the wing

[Flash Gordon]

Duhan van Der Merve wouldn't be a bad signing if we need an "injury" joker on the wing

I just came here to say something similar. Even if we could pick him up for the rest of the year that would be a good signing. We are very thin on the
ground at wing with injuries and Ireland.

[Dave Cahill]

But he won't be of any help when our Irish players are away because he'll be away too with Scotland

[FLIP]

Edinburgh have snapped him up already so no chance, but would he have been a good fit? Players who transfer nationality and then leave the country as soon as they've qualified don't sit well with me.

[paddyor]

But he won't be of any help when our Irish players are away because he'll be away too with Scotland

Not the same as before with shortened schedule and no test games

[paddyor]

Good Journalism from the Graun here. Scoundrels

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... are_btn_tw

[blockhead]

https://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/all/dom ... cbs-arena/

[Ruckedtobits]

Good Journalism from the Graun here. Scoundrels

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... are_btn_tw

Anybody who can follow, or interpret, the content of this article should immediately apply to Goldman Sachs / SEC / World Bank for a job as Head of Section in Financial Forensic examinations. There are so many cul de sacs, non-sequiters, unexplained transactions, as to make this a bigger mystery than it already seemed. Never mind Asset-Stripping, this chronicle reads like straight forward fraud, with complicit accountants/ auditors.

[riocard911]

Good Journalism from the Graun here. Scoundrels

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... are_btn_tw

Anybody who can follow, or interpret, the content of this article should immediately apply to Goldman Sachs / SEC / World Bank for a job as Head of Section in Financial Forensic examinations. There are so many cul de sacs, non-sequiters, unexplained transactions, as to make this a bigger mystery than it already seemed. Never mind Asset-Stripping, this chronicle reads like straight forward fraud, with complicit accountants/ auditors.

Thanks for that, RTB. Glad to hear I wasn't the only one had difficulty making head or tail of it all. One particular bit, however, stood out for me. One of the two cowboy owners, Goldring,

"...had been barred by the Solicitors Regulation Authority from working for any law firm without clearance. Between approximately June 2016 and April 2017, during a stint as a 'trainee solicitor' at a now-defunct Manchester law firm, he “caused or allowed” the disappearance of €8.3m of a Saudi client’s money..."

Sounds like living dangerously ...

[dropkick]

I'm not exactly an expert on the premiership but to me it looks like the league is in serious trouble. Too many clubs with too much debt and the danger is a snowball effect could happen.


-There's usually 6 matches per week. That could be cut to 5 meaning less tv money.

-There might be a bigger gap opening between the top and bottom sides. We've see how the likes of Zebre and Dragons can drag a leagues competitiveness down and stuck the life out of people's interest. With 6 games, if 2 other teams fall into zebre territory then it leaves a max of 4 competitive matches per round.

-That could be the death spiral that will take a long time to get out of. I think they will look for a B&I league once they see the writing on the wall.


It's a shame to see historic clubs in so much trouble.

[paddyor]

Good Journalism from the Graun here. Scoundrels

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... are_btn_tw

Anybody who can follow, or interpret, the content of this article should immediately apply to Goldman Sachs / SEC / World Bank for a job as Head of Section in Financial Forensic examinations. There are so many cul de sacs, non-sequiters, unexplained transactions, as to make this a bigger mystery than it already seemed. Never mind Asset-Stripping, this chronicle reads like straight forward fraud, with complicit accountants/ auditors.

Yeah look don't get me wrong, it's as clear as mud but they've presented the facts as best they could without crossing any red lines. E.g. they apparently had to sit on this for a long time.

As the club’s accounts were frozen, the owners raised the majority of the August payroll through a £600,000 three-month loan at 20% interest from a petrol-station company, charged over the stadium car park. On 1 September, in an email seen by the Guardian, the creditor who wrote to Sport England offered to replace that with a £780,000 loan, which would have covered the entirety of the payroll. If a suitable buyer could be found, who would keep rugby at Sixways, he pledged to release the charge to them for nil gain – an interest-free loan in other words, on the condition that rugby remained at Sixways. Whittingham and Goldring chose to stick with the original.

I reckon with a bit more editorial leeway(and who knows there could be criminal proceedings which could be prejudiced by a full expose) they could give you a much clearer picture of the whys and hows. The part about one of them losing Saudi client money suggests they know a good bit more about them than they let on. It's still worth doing even if they can't do it clearly, you can still see it's dodgy as f%~k?

[blockhead]

I'm not exactly an expert on the premiership but to me it looks like the league is in serious trouble. Too many clubs with too much debt and the danger is a snowball effect could happen.


-There's usually 6 matches per week. That could be cut to 5 meaning less tv money.

-There might be a bigger gap opening between the top and bottom sides. We've see how the likes of Zebre and Dragons can drag a leagues competitiveness down and stuck the life out of people's interest. With 6 games, if 2 other teams fall into zebre territory then it leaves a max of 4 competitive matches per round.

-That could be the death spiral that will take a long time to get out of. I think they will look for a B&I league once they see the writing on the wall.


It's a shame to see historic clubs in so much trouble.

Wales fly-half Dan Biggar is to leave Northampton at the end of the season.

The 32-year-old joined Saints from the Ospreys in 2018 and has helped them achieve two top-four finishes in the Gallagher Premiership.

Director of rugby Phil Dowson revealed financial constraints played a major part in the decision, saying: “It has been well documented that, for this season and next, the salary cap for Premiership clubs is lower than it was previously.

“There is also a reduction in marquee players from two to one, which presents an additional challenge in building a balanced and competitive squad. We have to start putting a longer-term plan for the team in place, so these are all factors we have considered in making this decision.”

[riocard911]

Did we maybe put the curse on them with #jokeofaleague? Because that sure as hell sounds like where they're headed.....

[ronk]

I'm not exactly an expert on the premiership but to me it looks like the league is in serious trouble. Too many clubs with too much debt and the danger is a snowball effect could happen.


-There's usually 6 matches per week. That could be cut to 5 meaning less tv money.

-There might be a bigger gap opening between the top and bottom sides. We've see how the likes of Zebre and Dragons can drag a leagues competitiveness down and stuck the life out of people's interest. With 6 games, if 2 other teams fall into zebre territory then it leaves a max of 4 competitive matches per round.

-That could be the death spiral that will take a long time to get out of. I think they will look for a B&I league once they see the writing on the wall.


It's a shame to see historic clubs in so much trouble.

It's the difference between 3 of 6 matches being televised and 3 of 5 matches being televised.

Forcing down salaries is very painful, but probably better in the long run. The RFU won't step in for 1 club because of moral hazard but they'd have to if it was bigger.

[paddyor]

https://twitter.com/AlexMLowe/status/15 ... 8Rm64OJLRg

Wasps cancel wekends game as heading into administration. Apparently Mike Ashley was in the running to take it over but pulled out.

[Dave Cahill]

Project Undercover Chap has reached its climax.

Come home Agent Richardson, excellent work.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

That league has been run terribly over the last 10 years or so but it’s awful to see this stuff happen.

John Ryan back to Munster already? I hope he picks something up quickly anyway.

[blockhead]

Very worrying if Wasps go the way of Worcester, huge name in European rugby.
Would Matteo Minozzi be available for a few months?

[OTT]

Sad times.