Post by observer on Aug 29, 2012 12:36:10 GMT
Championship casts doubts on promotion ‘clarification’
www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/championship-casts-doubts-on-promotion-clarification-1-4201522
Premiership Rugby are looking to clarify their entry criteria after the fiasco that surrounded London Welsh’s promotion to the Aviva Premiership after winning last season’s Championship play-off final.
The ‘primacy of tenure’ stipulation proved the biggest point of controversy and Premiership Rugby CEO Mark McCafferty said: “The appeal panel did not rule against primacy of tenure itself but found we were not able to justify the three exceptions and we now have to decide how many we can live with from television’s point of view.
“There is also the question of how important ground ownership is to clubs.
“Evidence suggests that non-match day revenue plays a crucial part in sustaining a professional club and market forces will draw more clubs to owning their own grounds. Saracens are moving to their own ground in the New Year, Sale have a deal in place, Wasps are talking about building their own ground and London Welsh have been linked with a buy-out of the Kassam Stadium. What we have to do, and the professional game board is meeting next month, is shorten the decision-making process when it comes to ruling whether the Championship winners meet the criteria. Everyone involved in the play-offs needed to know where they stand before the matches start, as well as the bottom team in the Premiership.
“There was too much speculation last season and we need to provide clarity.”
But claims the criteria need only minor alterations have infuriation the chairman of the group of Championship clubs Geoff Irvine. The Blues chairman said: “We have been waiting for years for someone to challenge the criteria legally and London Welsh have now done that. There is no reason now why the club who win the Championship cannot be promoted.
“Premiership Rugby are displaying their normal arrogance, but they have been challenged. The criteria amount to ring-fencing and if there is an attempt to deny a club promotion at the end of the coming season, I am sure there will be a legal challenge. At Bedford, we have long known that we did not meet the criteria because our ground capacity is not big enough and the slope at Goldington Road is more than the regulations allow, but if we win the Championship and are denied promotion, we now have the opportunity to challenge any such decision because of London Welsh’s victory. We would need to spend millions of pounds to get our ground up to the standard demanded by the criteria.
“It is not only money we do not have but you are being asked to spend millions of pounds for something that might not happen. Our belief is that the Championship winners should be promoted and allowed to develop their facilities in phases should they retain their status. It was not that long ago that Premiership Rugby regarded their league as a 13-club tournament.
“One team had a holiday every year, but the rise of Exeter wrecked that and for the first time we have three of their shareholders in the Championship.
“I will argue long and hard at the PGB meeting that the criteria need to be overhauled because they are an obstacle to ambition and do not recognise achievement. Premiership Rugby can say the wording only needs a minor adjustment, but the success of London Welsh suggests otherwise and I hope we get the support of the RFU.”
www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/championship-casts-doubts-on-promotion-clarification-1-4201522
Premiership Rugby are looking to clarify their entry criteria after the fiasco that surrounded London Welsh’s promotion to the Aviva Premiership after winning last season’s Championship play-off final.
The ‘primacy of tenure’ stipulation proved the biggest point of controversy and Premiership Rugby CEO Mark McCafferty said: “The appeal panel did not rule against primacy of tenure itself but found we were not able to justify the three exceptions and we now have to decide how many we can live with from television’s point of view.
“There is also the question of how important ground ownership is to clubs.
“Evidence suggests that non-match day revenue plays a crucial part in sustaining a professional club and market forces will draw more clubs to owning their own grounds. Saracens are moving to their own ground in the New Year, Sale have a deal in place, Wasps are talking about building their own ground and London Welsh have been linked with a buy-out of the Kassam Stadium. What we have to do, and the professional game board is meeting next month, is shorten the decision-making process when it comes to ruling whether the Championship winners meet the criteria. Everyone involved in the play-offs needed to know where they stand before the matches start, as well as the bottom team in the Premiership.
“There was too much speculation last season and we need to provide clarity.”
But claims the criteria need only minor alterations have infuriation the chairman of the group of Championship clubs Geoff Irvine. The Blues chairman said: “We have been waiting for years for someone to challenge the criteria legally and London Welsh have now done that. There is no reason now why the club who win the Championship cannot be promoted.
“Premiership Rugby are displaying their normal arrogance, but they have been challenged. The criteria amount to ring-fencing and if there is an attempt to deny a club promotion at the end of the coming season, I am sure there will be a legal challenge. At Bedford, we have long known that we did not meet the criteria because our ground capacity is not big enough and the slope at Goldington Road is more than the regulations allow, but if we win the Championship and are denied promotion, we now have the opportunity to challenge any such decision because of London Welsh’s victory. We would need to spend millions of pounds to get our ground up to the standard demanded by the criteria.
“It is not only money we do not have but you are being asked to spend millions of pounds for something that might not happen. Our belief is that the Championship winners should be promoted and allowed to develop their facilities in phases should they retain their status. It was not that long ago that Premiership Rugby regarded their league as a 13-club tournament.
“One team had a holiday every year, but the rise of Exeter wrecked that and for the first time we have three of their shareholders in the Championship.
“I will argue long and hard at the PGB meeting that the criteria need to be overhauled because they are an obstacle to ambition and do not recognise achievement. Premiership Rugby can say the wording only needs a minor adjustment, but the success of London Welsh suggests otherwise and I hope we get the support of the RFU.”
