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This weekend, the Top 14 in France and the NFL in America returned with the third level of what is called “community” rugby in England.
Together, these competitions have led to questions about the future of the 10-team Premiership, which will need to pack considerable punch – and benefit from a stroke of luck – to hold viewers’ attention.
The Premiership spoiled us last season with a gloriously chaotic and highly competitive campaign. Northampton Saints finished as worthy champions and there were plenty of subplots.
One of them, which will span this season, was the Saracens squad overhaul. The man overseeing the project is Mark McCall, who shared his thoughts on the BBC show. Weekly Rugby Union podcast in May, as the 2023-24 semi-finals approach.
When asked if he favored a 10-team league, McCall paused. Although appreciating the benefits – greater availability of Test stars, concentration of talent and other aspects – his general belief was that “time will tell”.
Such comments came to mind this weekend, as the Top 14 revived and put the Premiership into perspective, containing four fewer clubs. Even across the Channel, it seemed like a landmark event.
This is partly due to summer migration. You could pick a decent team made up of (mostly) England-qualified players who would have started in the first round of the Top 14. Here’s my preview:
15 Joe Simmonds (Pau)
14 Henry Arundell (Run 92)
13 Joe Marchant (Stade Français)
12 Sam James (Run 92)
11 Ali Crossdale (Perpignan)
10 Owen Farrell (Run 92)
9 Dan Robson (Pau)
1 Mako Vunipola (Vannes)
2 Sam Matavesi (Lyon)*
3 Will Collier (Castres)
4David Ribbans (Toulon)
5Kpoku Junior (Race 92)
6 Lewis Ludlam (Toulon)
7Jack Willis (Toulouse)
8 Billy Vunipola (Montpellier)
There is an obvious problem with Hooker. Curtis Langdon traded Montpellier for the Saints a year ago and Luke Cowan-Dickie’s move to France fell through. Therefore, I chose Matavesi, the Truro-born Fiji international.
Kpoku, a world champion with England U20s, also wore six on Saturday and Joe Simmonds was at flyhalf rather than full-back for Pau against Clermont. Otherwise, it’s a legitimate exercise. There were even some oddly familiar selection dilemmas.
I opted for a set-piece specialist rather than Kyle Sinckler, who made clear his intention to improve as a scrummager during his time at Toulon. Manu Tuilagi, now from Bayonne, is injured, leaving a rather light midfield. By the way, how strange that Billy Vunipola and Sam Simmonds are fighting for the same place again, this time in Montpellier.
In reality, only six members of the above line-up – Arundell, Marchant, Farrell, Collier, Ribbans and Willis – would have competed for a place on Steve Borthwick’s tour this summer. But the scale of the exodus has become shocking.
There is also Courtney Lawes and Jonny May, two members of the English selection which faced South Africa in the semi-final of the World Cup last year, in Pro D2, in Brive and Angoulême respectively. Cynics will point out that the combined age of these two people is 69 years old. However, there seems to have been a tangible increase in knowledge of the French landscape.
Premier Sports is showing up to four Top 14 matches every weekend this season. British newspapers, notably The telegraphsent journalists to Castres for Farrell’s debut at Racing 92. We also talked about the newly promoted Vannes, who despite their defeat against defending champion Toulouse, saw their first attempt in the Top 14 scored by Mako Vunipola.
The intrigue isn’t just about English stars in exile. The diversity and depth of the French club scene has an undeniable appeal. On the other hand, financial fragility has caused the contraction and consolidation of the Premiership. A source cited the six-year contract signed by Lyon scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud as something that would not happen in England at the moment due to continued changes in salary cap rules and infrastructure. the competition.
To herald the new NFL season, which arrived on Thursday, Sky Sports aired adverts promoting its three live games on Sunday. My senses were heightened from the frenzy Receiverthe Netflix documentary that mixes behind-the-scenes footage with nuggets of technical information. American football could also draw attention away from rugby union.
The 2024-25 Premiership campaign begins a week from Friday. Bath host Northampton on the opening night in a repeat of June’s decider. After strengthening their squad and retaining several big names, they should have a strong title tilt, provided Finn Russell stays fit. The Saints and Sale Sharks look best equipped to stop them at this stage. Bristol Bears, Exeter Chiefs, Saracens and Harlequins will battle to be in the chasing pack.
The truth is, the ceiling needs to take care of itself. My hope for the Premiership season is that the floor goes up. Steve Diamond aims to revive Newcastle Falcons with five or six wins. Gloucester have signed half-backs Tomos Williams and Gareth Anscombe as they attempt to get their act together. Leicester Tigers finished eighth last season. Michael Cheika can propel a talented team to the top four.
Beneath that, however, lies the crux, as English rugby union can surely field more than 10 teams capable of surviving in the elite. On the face of it, promotion from the Championship is a more real prospect thanks to amended minimum standards criteria which allows a team to turn up and work from a capacity field of 5,000 to a target of 10,000 on four seasons.
When the Professional Gaming Partnership (PGP) deal was announced last week, power players recognized the importance of a strong second tier. However, it was highlighted that the gap remains “huge” when it comes to commercial influence. Despite myriad meetings over the past 18 months, questions remain about promotion mechanisms. Will a team immediately need planning permission for all 10,000 seats, for example?
There is also debate over parachute payments for teams going down. A league salary cap has been proposed to mitigate the likelihood of clubs yo-yoing. He encountered resistance.
Another personal wish would be that whoever finishes top of the Championship – Ealing Trailfinders, Coventry, Doncaster Knights or another contender – would have a chance in the home and away play-offs. Ealing beat Russell-less Bath in a pre-season friendly on Saturday and will be buoyant. A high-stakes shootout will certainly add drama while expanding the scope of the Premiership beyond 10 isolated teams.
Consider Shane Drahm’s predicament in 2005, when the Northampton fly-half could have condemned Worcester, the team he joined the following summer, to relegation on the final day. Remember Guy Thompson’s phenomenal performance to beat Newcastle and inspire Leicester to survive in 2019? They were gripping storylines.
On Saturday in Hampshire, Havant scored their first game in the fourth tier since 2009 by beating Sevenoaks 25-15. Rotherham, back in National 1, beat Rosslyn Park. Although perhaps not as important as in France, the footprint of sport in this country is remarkable.
McCall’s implication in May was that the Premiership might eventually have to grow again, which would have obvious benefits: providing more playing opportunities, varying the schedule, attracting broadcasters and filling gaps in the schedule that are tricky for cash flow. Among other things, it seems silly that eight clubs qualify for the Champions Cup.
Last season he was fortunate that the play-off race maintained an element of danger until the eighth round. To compete with the French Top 14, a 10-team Premiership requires irresistible chaos on the pitch and clever marketing to make up for it. size.
