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Domestic and European Rugby

all the above about a stadium and ownership does not actually solve the problem that rugby is not attracting new fans, people who are prepared to spend money following their teams.

Ireland and France been somewhat different in that rugby is a culture in France and the only professional team sport in Ireland rugby isn’t breaking out of public school or old club men image. That has to change.

I had hoped Irish would be bought by an IRFU proxy as a way to develop players but given that the premiership is in trouble I would understand their reticence. Also Irish do nothing to attract people young Irish people to the club, especially those just off the boat. It’s easier to fly home and watch one of the provinces than get tied up in Irish and anyway most of the people I know want nothing to do with Paddy Jackson’s club.
 
The governance / club structure of English rugby does seem to be very poor.

While I think I understand the problems I really have very little idea of what the solutions are or how to get to them.
 
Elpenor said:
realistically I don’t think London can sustain more than 2 clubs, particularly as they play in the same part of town as Harlequins.
Click to expand...
You mean Sarries, right? The Stoop is SW London.

Have Irish's attendances gone down since they left Reading?
 
stavros said:
You mean Sarries, right? The Stoop is SW London.

Have Irish's attendances gone down since they left Reading?
Click to expand...
No - I mean Quins.

London Irish play in Brentford which is only a few miles from the stoop. The club has always been SW London based, they played in Reading for some years but they still trained in Sunbury where their club HQ remained. No idea on their attendances but the new stadium never looks full

SW / W London has long been a rugby hotbed and a lot of clubs were based there historically - off the top of my head Richmond, London Welsh & Scottish and Rosslyn Park have all played in the premiership though some were in the amateur era. Plus Ealing are in the championship and of course Wasps were also based in Sudbury during the amateur era
 
Elpenor said:
No - I mean Quins.

London Irish play in Brentford which is only a few miles from the stoop. The club has always been SW London based, they played in Reading for some years but they still trained in Sunbury where their club HQ remained. No idea on their attendances but the new stadium never looks full
Click to expand...
You're right. For some reason I had always thought Brentford was further north than it in fact is.
 
They played a great game of catch-pass rugby (similar to how Northampton do) so were always worth watching
 
The squads being named has made it all real, as is Ireland’s return to Narbonne where in 2007 the wheels stated to come off.
 
The last two Leinster results have perhaps been a cause for a flutter of panic in the Irish camp
 
Elpenor said:
The last two Leinster results have perhaps been a cause for a flutter of panic in the Irish camp
Click to expand...
Maybe. One thing that stands out in Leinster is that without Sexton and/or Ryan there is no real leadership. There’s no gobby players. Ireland I think has better leadership with POM and Earls in the squad.
 
League Challenge Cup Semi final just about to start. Hull KR v Wigan (Field and French :eek:).

Yesterday's game Leigh v St Helens was superb.
 
That's terrible! He's just saying the words with no attempt to pronounce them properly and throwing in 'fucking' here and there :D

Half the joy of speaking French is the pronunciation and sounding French.
 
Now the World Cup is over, time for the domestic season to take centre stage :)

I’ve taken the plunge of a season ticket at my local team, Exeter Chiefs, and have been to two home games so far, both of which have been dominant victories over last years champions Saracens (cheats!), and runner-up, Sale. Excited about what this group of young players can do, about the only player anyone will know is Henry Slade, but there are a few young Welsh players in the side - Joe Hawkins, Dafydd Jenkins and Christ Tshiunza, the latter two just back from the World Cup.

The one to watch though is sadly injured already and out until after the 6 Nations - Josh Hodge - a leggy full back in the style of Ian Balshaw, who got a hattrick against Saracens - a real shame as I fancied him to make the England squad, although I think Borthwick isn’t a fan of chiefs players really.

Anyway the next live game on ITV is Sunday 12th November when I think it’s Northampton v Exeter, and of course highlights are on ITV4 every Monday night.
 
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