Pro 16

[Oldschoolsocks]

Personally think there’s no chance we’ll host a Lions tour in Europe. There’s a mutation of Covid doing the rounds there and the country has a non-existent vaccine program, I certainly wouldn’t be comfortable with potentially hundreds of people travelling to Europe for those games — and that’s just the coaches and playing staff.

If anything, it makes more sense to send one group of 50, or however big the Lions entourage would be, to South Africa. Get them vaccinated beforehand so they are less likely to contract and spread the disease and play the games out there.

Is Europe a country now?

[Serb]

Is Europe a country now?

No.

South Africa is the country that has a non existent vaccine programme.

[LeinsterLeader]

The Argentinians want in too

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/ ... -1.4490825

[blockhead]

An Argentinian side based is Bilbao? Could that work?
Someone else would have to be jettisoned I would assume, maybe the 2 Italian clubs merged into 1.
Can't see happening tbh.

[IanD]

An Argentinian side based is Bilbao? Could that work?
Someone else would have to be jettisoned I would assume, maybe the 2 Italian clubs merged into 1.
Can't see happening tbh.

I would love to see a Mongrel type team of Irish Italian Scottish and Welsh setup in Brussels. That would make 18.

Brussels has NATO and the EU so lots of expats living there. Plus what a destination for an Away Rugby Weekend.

[blockhead]

An Argentinian side based is Bilbao? Could that work?
Someone else would have to be jettisoned I would assume, maybe the 2 Italian clubs merged into 1.
Can't see happening tbh.

I would love to see a Mongrel type team of Irish Italian Scottish and Welsh setup in Brussels. That would make 18.

Brussels has NATO and the EU so lots of expats living there. Plus what a destination for an Away Rugby Weekend.

Brilliant destination. Tell the bird that you're goin to Brussels for the Leinster game. Then when you get there, hop on a train and head straight to Amsterdam for you know what.

[Ruckedtobits]

An Argentinian side based is Bilbao? Could that work?
Someone else would have to be jettisoned I would assume, maybe the 2 Italian clubs merged into 1.
Can't see happening tbh.

An idea waiting to happen and the right location, although Barcelona was mooted before. This concept derives from the NFL and has worked in this most professional of sports since the 70's.

Welcome Argentina, but it's going to be a long time before travel flights & restrictions make it a commercial reality.

[leinsterforever]

It'd be nice to have them but how do you come up with a format that works if there are 17 teams? The Cheetahs could be added back in to make it an even number but there still wouldn't be an obvious format. Cut Zebre and add the Jaguares, maybe?

[Peg Leg]

You'd have to think Ospreys most likely to go in the future.

[the spoofer]

You'd have to think Ospreys most likely to go in the future.

Cut the 4 Welsh teams. The reduction in whining by their supporters would be worth it.

[heno]

I hope we don't go down a road where we end up making all the mistakes they made in super rugby.
If it were 18 teams, you could have 3 conferences of 6 with a Southern hem, ire and Italy, Scotland and Wales. But I think the mixed conferences is a better way to avoid the same mistakes.
So 2 conf with 9. Everyone play h and a, 16 games. Then play the inter Pro games from the other conf h and a, thats 20 games. Then have qf, SF, F.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[ronk]

The Super X* was creaking under pressure and added travel to Japan and Argentina at the same time as an expansion of the international calendar.

[BigL]

Its quality that we need; not quantity. This weekend showed once more that there are too many rubbish teams in the league. The fact that the Irish teams occupy the top 4 spaces in the league is a reflection on the weakness of the rest, rather than the strength of the Irish teams, unfortunately. Adding more mediocre teams is going to make things worse.

[ronk]

The Jaguares were S15 finalists in 2019. They’d be stocked with internationals and they’d grow the game in Spain.

As it stands residency qualification could be Spain based and work permit issues would be strange. Now would they be allowed into the Heineken Cup?

[leinsterforever]

I hope we don't go down a road where we end up making all the mistakes they made in super rugby.
If it were 18 teams, you could have 3 conferences of 6 with a Southern hem, ire and Italy, Scotland and Wales. But I think the mixed conferences is a better way to avoid the same mistakes.
So 2 conf with 9. Everyone play h and a, 16 games. Then play the inter Pro games from the other conf h and a, thats 20 games. Then have qf, SF, F.

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

Play 10 teams twice ane 7 teams not at all? Not ideal. I think it would be better to just have one group and play everyone home *or* away for 17 games. Then 3 extra derby games.

The issue with a league with a number of teams other than a multiple of 4 is what you do with the derbies for the teams other than the Irish, the Welsh and the big four Saffers. I suppose it wouldn't be impossible to come up with something for the 6 other teams. Scots play each other twice and then play one extra game against one of the Jags, Cheetahs, Treviso and Zebre, and so on.

[IanD]

An Argentinian side based is Bilbao? Could that work?
Someone else would have to be jettisoned I would assume, maybe the 2 Italian clubs merged into 1.
Can't see happening tbh.

I would love to see a Mongrel type team of Irish Italian Scottish and Welsh setup in Brussels. That would make 18.

Brussels has NATO and the EU so lots of expats living there. Plus what a destination for an Away Rugby Weekend.

Brilliant destination. Tell the bird that you're goin to Brussels for the Leinster game. Then when you get there, hop on a train and head straight to Amsterdam for you know what.

Brussels has a Red Light district too. And 24 hour drinking.

And best of all...... Belgian Waffles.

[Keith]

I would love to see a Mongrel type team of Irish Italian Scottish and Welsh setup in Brussels. That would make 18.

Brussels has NATO and the EU so lots of expats living there. Plus what a destination for an Away Rugby Weekend.

Brilliant destination. Tell the bird that you're goin to Brussels for the Leinster game. Then when you get there, hop on a train and head straight to Amsterdam for you know what.

Brussels has a Red Light district too. And 24 hour drinking.

And best of all...... Belgian Waffles.

Really?

[riocard911]

Brilliant destination. Tell the bird that you're goin to Brussels for the Leinster game. Then when you get there, hop on a train and head straight to Amsterdam for you know what.

Brussels has a Red Light district too. And 24 hour drinking.

And best of all...... Belgian Waffles.

Really?

Plus fabulous beers and amazing crepes.....

[Keith]

Brussels has a Red Light district too. And 24 hour drinking.

And best of all...... Belgian Waffles.

Really?

Plus fabulous beers and amazing crepes.....

I'll stick it on the bucket list so.

[IanD]

Brilliant destination. Tell the bird that you're goin to Brussels for the Leinster game. Then when you get there, hop on a train and head straight to Amsterdam for you know what.

Brussels has a Red Light district too. And 24 hour drinking.

And best of all...... Belgian Waffles.

Really?

My Sister lived in Brussels for two summers when in college. I stayed on her floor for cheap holidays. She worked in an Irish Pub called the Wild Geese. That closed at 3am. From there we went to a pub called Herman's which opened at midnight and closed at 8am. It was in the basement of a pub called La Fontaine which opened at 7am. These three pubs were about 350 yards from each other. The Wild Geese would open for lunch but in fairness I never saw it.

Best part was you passed a bakery on the way and sitting on the kerb at 6am eating fresh bread and Pain de Chocolate after a night on the lash is amazing.