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'I bet the RFU wishes they had a viable second tier of rugby'
By Liam Heagney
Seasoned Championship player Ollie Stedman has criticised the RFU for its mismanagement of the second tier of English rugby and has called on the league not to accommodate the suspended Worcester or Wasps for the 2023/24 season due to the parachute payments they would potentially still receive for dropping down a division.
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The past week had been an extraordinary time for the Gallagher Premiership with Worcester and Wasps both suspended by their RFU after falling into administration due to their respective financial troubles.
Worcester have been automatically relegated and suspended from the remainder of the current Premiership season while Wasps have only been suspended for now – even though the penalty for any top-flight club falling into administration is automatic relegation.
With the Championship title winners for the 2022/23 season not allowed to be promoted, the arrival of Worcester and Wasps into the second tier would see that current twelve-team tournament jump to 14 teams for the 2023/24 season.
Clubs in the Championship have had their funding drastically cut in recent years by the RFU and Stedman, who has represented Newcastle, London Welsh, Doncaster, Leeds, Ealing and Bedford during his numerous seasons in the second tier, had plenty to say on social media after it emerged that Wasps had followed Worcester into collapse.
I hope they refuse them unless the RFU increases the funding per club. As Worcester/wasps will still get their 3-5m parachute payment
— Ollie Stedman (@oliverstedman) October 13, 2022
The 31-year-old back-rower, who this season is playing for Birmingham Moseley in National One having spent last season with Bedford in the Championship, wrote on Twitter: “I bet the RFU wishes they had a viable second tier of rugby. This could afford the 80 or so rugby players who have lost their jobs a proper wage and opportunity to stay in the game… like it used to do. But after all, turkeys voted for Xmas.
“Let’s see how far the goalposts move with how many Wasps blazer boys are entrenched in the RFU hierarchy. The RFU pay these clubs millions a year to function like that. They have facilitated the Premiership and national team at the sake of all other rugby from tier two to grassroots.
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“I hope they [the Championship] refuse them unless the RFU increases the funding per club as Worcester/Wasps will still get their £3-5million parachute payment.”
Agree with this. Unfortunately the club game has been led by the narrow self-interest of the prem club owners rather than a broader vision for making game sustainable and expanding it. The comparison with France - where attendances, TV money and interest outside the traditional heartlands has grown - has really exposed the lacklustre management of the club game here. Cvc have also added no value and just take a cut of the TV money, as many predicted.
Only reason English rugby is how it is is because the Premiership clubs made it this way. The RFU have very little control of them and they are held over a barrel for international players and forced to pay massive fees for their release. The reason there is no money in the game is because the Premiership takes it all.