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Ousted Saracens boss Edward Griffiths back in the game in a surprise role - reports

(Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)

Saracens’ ex-interim CEO Edward Griffiths is apparently back in the game – working on a pro-bono basis on a radical plan to safeguard the financial future of the threatened English Championship clubs. 

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Griffiths recently spent just 26 days at the crisis London club, during which time they failed to sort out their salary cap mess and accepted automatic relegation from the Gallagher Premiership for next season. 

He departed with immediate effect on January 28, leaving chairman Neil Golding to work through the salary cap fallout that will see the current Premiership champions ply their trade next season in the English second tier. 

However, Griffiths is now reportedly back on the beat, ironically formulating a plan that can enable Saracens’ soon-to-be-rival Championship clubs become self-sufficient.

Ambitious outfits such as Cornish Pirates and Coventry were left dismayed when it emerged last month that the RFU will slash its central funding to second tier clubs by 50 per cent in order to save the English game’s governing body over £3million.

It’s felt that the RFU have no interest in a fully-fledged Championship operating underneath the Premiership, but the Telegraph are now reporting that Griffiths has come on board in an attempt to drum up ideas to make the league more financially attractive.

Championship clubs believe there is scope for their league to become as vibrant as the Pro D2 is in France and they now want to maximise revenues after the RFU funding cut caught them by surprise.

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With annual RFU funding being reduced from £530,000 to £288,000 per club, the Championship wants to take control of broadcasting rights and sponsorship which are currently the remit of English rugby HQ. 

A source told the Telegraph: “This is going to be a radical proposal. It is about making the Championship able to stand on its own two feet and become financially viable. The Championship remains a hugely important league for English rugby.”

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Bull Shark 5 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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