European Club Rugby
-
I went to a game recently (Section Paloise vs Stade Francais). It was just as bad in real life.
Slow. Lots of bad kicking. Obvious backline plays.
And players who had been better than that in the Southern Hemisphere (Slade, B Stanley, Mogg) were no better.
It's worse than 1st XVs in NZ in terms of style of play.
-
The 10 minute period I watched, they just kept dropping the ball.
Maybe it's confirmation bias. As I've said earlier in the thread, I've never watched Top 14 until this season. I was expecting it to be slow from what I've read over the years. But I'm prepared to accept that if the league and occasion has passion and tradition etc as it can still make for good viewing. Even so, I'm surprised how dull the stuff I've seen so far has been.
And as for tradition, the match I watched yesterday - the reason I kept watching for a bit was to work out which team the "Tou" was that was getting spanked. (Toulon or Toulouse). I couldn't hear any commentary because open plan living is a fucking stupid idea. And "Tou" were wearing all grey with shit loads of adds. I eventually worked out it was Toulouse when they showed a close up of the coach and I could see an ST bade rather than an RCT badge on his polo.
-
Hardly surprising that it is like that given most of the overseas players are ones that have finished international rugby through "old age" or guys that were not going to progress any higher than the level they were playing at. Prime example Jamie MacIntosh still playing professionally when the was not even wanted at Mitre10 level by Southland
-
A big performance from Lima Sopoaga for Wasps yesterday:
-
-
-
My struggles with the Top 14 highlights show continues.
While still having to concentrate much more than expected to work out which team is which.
I also have to second guess who the players are due to garbled pronunciations. Charles Nigger-tie had an impressive game this week.
I genuinely don't know if some of these Polynesian guys scoring all these tries are players I've surprisingly never heard of, maybe French Polynesians, or ex-hurricanes with slightly shaggier hair and a new name.
I'm not sure who the target audience is for this show.
-
Worcester were either going to go bust or get sold this year. Sold it is..
They now have a new owner: http://warriors.co.uk/2018/10/01/worcester-warriors-announce-new-ownership/
May be a speculative play for some of that Private Equity money if EPR sell 50% of their easy money for a quick upfront fix. I just don't see Worcester as being viable going forward without a dramatic change.
A reminder on their Finances.
2017 Finances:
Turnover £10.8m
Borrowings/investment by owner: Loans £26m
Wage bill £11m (101% of turnover)
Loss before tax £8mThey tried to sell a year ago for £26m, which was basically the amount of their debt at the time.
Sep 18, 2017: Worcester Warriors' owner ready to sell club for £26.7m | The Times.
-
Chickens coming home to roost
-
@mikethesnow said in NH club rugby:
Chickens coming home to roost
I’ve often wondered what a Ex-Club Owner Reunion might sound like:
I used to have to pay some foreign player an extra grand a week just to get him in the dressing room.
Oh well I had to pay the whole team to play six matches in a row and then accept measly money from the RFU to let them go play some tests in South Africa.
Luxury. I used to pay thirteen Kiwis, 4 Aussies and a few Saffers to turn up and play each week whilst the rest of them were off sunning themselves at some World Cup thingy.
Luuuuxurrrry. I used to get up at half past ten, barely have time for my boiled egg and toast before meeting my accountant to work out where to put the £5m losses for another year, then hire another coach cos the last one was a bit soft, look at new development plans for the club - Directors Dining Room, more injury treatment rooms, hire some more Saffas, and barely make it home for dinner at 6.
Luxury. We had to spend £30m each year paying the fans to turn up each week for the tv cameras, build 3 hotels, 4 schools, and put down a new pitch made of ordinary grass before the players would even turn up on a Monday....
-
@derm-mccrum said in NH club rugby:
@mikethesnow said in NH club rugby:
Chickens coming home to roost
I’ve often wondered what a Ex-Club Owner Reunion might sound like:
I used to have to pay some foreign player an extra grand a week just to get him in the dressing room.
Oh well I had to pay the whole team to play six matches in a row and then accept measly money from the RFU to let them go play some tests in South Africa.
Luxury. I used to pay thirteen Kiwis, 4 Aussies and a few Saffers to turn up and play each week whilst the rest of them were off sunning themselves at some World Cup thingy.
Luuuuxurrrry. I used to get up at half past ten, barely have time for my boiled egg and toast before meeting my accountant to work out where to put the £5m losses for another year, then hire another coach cos the last one was a bit soft, look at new development plans for the club - Directors Dining Room, more injury treatment rooms, hire some more Saffas, and barely make it home for dinner at 6.
Luxury. We had to spend £30m each year paying the fans to turn up each week for the tv cameras, build 3 hotels, 4 schools, and put down a new pitch made of ordinary grass before the players would even turn up on a Monday....
1996 Original Club owner: "Well, on day 1, we just decided to pay the players triple the going rate for any other professional rugby happening at the time. I can't remember why we did that"
2017 Club Owners: "You c*&t" -
Sevu Reece may, or may not, go to Connacht.
Here's the link to the original article in the Irish Examiner (I'm not sure the author of the Radio Sport article has actually read it very well): https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/rugby/connacht-signings-move-in-doubt-after-new-zealand-court-appearance-over-domestic-abuse-incident-872791.html
The Examiner in turn refers to this article in the NZH:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12134952 -
@stargazer dont blame them TBH, France might be a better option...
-
The Left Wing: James Lowe on life at Leinster, Super Rugby experience and unique route to the top
Great and very long interview with James Lowe.
-
@stargazer said in NH club rugby:
Sevu Reece may, or may not, go to Connacht.
Here's the link to the original article in the Irish Examiner (I'm not sure the author of the Radio Sport article has actually read it very well): https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/rugby/connacht-signings-move-in-doubt-after-new-zealand-court-appearance-over-domestic-abuse-incident-872791.html
The Examiner in turn refers to this article in the NZH:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12134952Theres a B and B in Bali thats hiring at the moment.
-
@stargazer Confirmed from Connacht/IRFU Reece contract has been torn up.
Connacht cancel move for Sevu Reece
Sevu Reece will not be joining Connacht, the province and the IRFU confirmed this morning.
Stuff
Sport
