Welsh Regions leaving the Pro 12

[superlamps008]

Does anyone on Twitter ever notice the amount of whinging coming from the Welsh about the Pro12?

Its a competition none of them are interested in apparently, and what they really want is to pack up shop take there 5 or 6 thousand fans with them and move to the Aviva Premiership and leave us high and dry along with the Scots and Italians. Clearly now it wont happen for at least 6 years given RRW recently signed a new PA with the WRU but just wondering if it does what does that mean for the rest of the Pro12? I remember a couple of years ago there was rumors flying about online that the South Africans were talking about joining the then Magners League. That would be an interesting proposition surely?

[Logorrhea]

6 years is a long way away

See a combined home nations league myself as the only viable solution but ................ well a lot will happen between then and now.

[superlamps008]

No doubt its a long way. I just find it really infuriating and insulting even the way some of the Welsh regard the Irish on Twitter - its our fault that its so easy to win the Pro12.

Other thing is how would the Irish provinces enter a league completely run by the PRL (different ideas on player welfare program etc). Thats why I like the sound of the South Africans

[fourthirtythree]

Welsh clubs have more chance of going bankrupt than.... in fact than any scenario where they drive what happens to professional rugby.

[superlamps008]

Yea thats also true. Feel sorry for them in a way but my god leave the Irish alone.

I hope IRFU have a contingency plan, because it was the RRW who really had us by the balls last season siding with the PRL

[fourthirtythree]

It's hard to blame them really. They are constantly teetering on the verge of non-existence. If PRL were guaranteeing a steady stream of brass buttons in a collection jar and an actual pittance of real cash now it would be awfully tempting to them to sell their mammies, grannies, girlfriends, and wives. Anything to stave the yawning void they circle.

[blockhead]

Were we not all blind~sided by the Scots who took the 40 shillings from BT in the end though?

[fourthirtythree]

Were we not all blind~sided by the Scots who took the 40 shillings from BT in the end though?

Not really. In the end we will all do our self-interested (naive self interest) obeisance to the cash. We will do a breakaway with the English if the rest of the Pro 12 falls apart. What else could we do? Therefore they don't feel an awful lot of loyalty to us. Anyway they assume we care more about Europe than our bread and butter league. Irish provinces would have taken the pieces of silver from BT if it suited BT's broadband strategy and that was the lucre on offer. Are you suggesting we should remain loyal to Rupert Murdoch? As Chris Patton said "the thing about Rupe is he's only there when you don't need him." His model is to go with the winner.

Obvs.

[paddyor]

TBF some of their anger is justified. In the early days we never took the league seriously. The IRFU wouldn't allow league position decide HEC qualification (comnacht) and we never sent over full strength sides. They blame this for the super clubs never attracting wide support. They believe that hatred of the English would wipe away old club rivalry and fill the stadium. Much as they hate us, it's not a widely held view as evidenced by gates and you have to wonder about the depth of the hatred too.
Mostly I think it's jealousy as we've made it work for us and have been successful. It's noticeable they leave the Scots out of it. If Glasgow can continue from last season it'll be interesting to see how they react to them.

[superlamps008]

I agree it almost seems like jealousy bordering on the brink of bitterness.

But the new Pro12 format now surely means it has to be competitive. Leinster practically had a full strength squad out in Game 2 this week which is a plus. So if the Welsh come back on board and act like they care about the league this year, then we could have a great season.

Sky have bought the rights to whatever amount of games so its up too all 12 teams and their fans to make it as good as possible. Then maybe BT will take notice and offer us all a ride on this gravy train?

[paddyor]

It might make the middle of the table a bit more interesting. Only 2 rounds in but so far the only sides a Welsh team has beaten are Welsh and Italian.
IMO we could have rested a further 4 front liners and still won comfortably. The top 4 from last season are streets ahead of them in funding and organisation. They'll fail/fall short again this year and they know it. Battling it out for 6th isn't going to drive attendances or interest especially if you're trying to appeal people who support old rivals.

I'd agree broadly with what you're saying. I was hopeful last year that that could be the case. Having followed the row with the WRU I'm less optimistic. They need serious cash and aren't getting it. They'll be back with more excuses next year but basically their union is skint(more than the SRU who recently made a killing) and is composed of clubs who see them as rivals for funds.

[Aird]

I think Paadyor has hit the nail on the head when he says WRU is made up of clubs that see the Pro12 clubs as rivals.

I have always thought how little the Welsh understand the set up with our provinces.
They may call the sides regions but they have no real connections / roots within grass roots. They thought they could copy Ireland's provinces but forgot that our provinces had over 100 years history of competition to build upon.
.
There maybe arguments between clubs within the provinces but it like any family they close ranks behind their own provinces.
Whilst the. IRFU are not always the most popular among the provinces I think that most people feel that over all they are doing a reasonable job. I know they are not perfect but they are better than either the WRU or the SRU.

[Aird]

I think Paadyor has hit the nail on the head when he says WRU is made up of clubs that see the Pro12 clubs as rivals.

I have always thought how little the Welsh understand the set up with our provinces.
They may call the sides regions but they have no real connections / roots within grass roots. They thought they could copy Ireland's provinces but forgot that our provinces had over 100 years history of competition to build upon.
.
There maybe arguments between clubs within the provinces but it like any family they close ranks behind their own provinces.
Whilst the. IRFU are not always the most popular among the provinces I think that most people feel that over all they are doing a reasonable job. I know they are not perfect but they are better than either the WRU or the SRU.

[superlamps008]

That seems to be it alright.

But then again in saying that, when Cardiff lost to Leicester in 2009 they had nearly 40k fans at that game (lost on place kicks!). I don't even think there was 7k at the game on Sunday against Glasgow, so I have no doubt that the support is there for them maybe they just need to market it a bit better. And there is a lot of call for them to set up a region for Ponty where they claim there is massive support (remember Celtic Warriors back in the day - who folded?)

It just seems to me tho, bottom line even tho they signed this PA agreement that they can't be trusted and would sell us down the river if they got even half the chance

[rooster]

One of the posters on uafc forum has started a thread posing questions to the Welsh regions as we meet up with them, last week the Scarlets fans took it as it was meant and gave decent answers in general but the Cardiff fans this week are a seriously bitter lot and one just answers any questions about Irish or Ulster rugby with "no interest in Irish rugby". Now if that is a general mentality they have fans that have no interest in watching their team play at least 4 opposition sides and if asked no doubt they have no interest in Scottish or Italian teams either.

[johng]

What are they doing on UAFC if they have no interest in Irish rugby?

[superlamps008]

Whats UAFC all about, have you got a link to that site? Wouldn't mind having a goo at it.

Its a Cardiff lad alright that drives me mad on Twitter lol! Prob talking about the same lad

[johng]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=uafc

[rooster]

It the Ulster equivilant of here, fans forum
http://uafc.co.uk/index.php

The thread on the Cardiff board is here http://www.rugbynetwork.net/boards/read ... 1,14902437

[simonokeeffe]

One of the posters on uafc forum has started a thread posing questions to the Welsh regions as we meet up with them, last week the Scarlets fans took it as it was meant and gave decent answers in general but the Cardiff fans this week are a seriously bitter lot and one just answers any questions about Irish or Ulster rugby with "no interest in Irish rugby". Now if that is a general mentality they have fans that have no interest in watching their team play at least 4 opposition sides and if asked no doubt they have no interest in Scottish or Italian teams either.

that level of parochialism is what fed into Swansea and Cardiff joining the premier league boning them so much