Tom Ilube steps down as RFU chairman

His Highlanders teams were ass when he was head coach.

So, there are 40 teams across the 3 top tier leagues of Europe & Africa. Merge all 3 leagues into a 3 tiered competition with pro/rel, plus a cup competition. Here's how it'd work.

For the league set up, you'd have a top division and second division each with 16 teams. You'd then have a third division of 8 teams. Both Divisions 1 and 2 operate kind of like the URC now in that they are split into 4 groups of 4. In each division, the 4 group winners would play in the playoffs, and the 4 group losers would play in a reverse playoff. In the reverse playoff the two losers of round 1 would then play each other. The loser of that would be automatically relegated, and the winner would play the playoff runner up of the division below for to either stay up, or also be relegated.

Divisions 1 & 2 would each play an 18 match schedule while Division 3 would play a 14 match schedule. Part of the downside of being in Division 3. However, television money would be split equally among all 40 clubs to protect Division 3 clubs from going belly up. Each tier would also have a progressively higher salary cap.

Aside from the league, there'd also be a cup competition. All 40 clubs, regardless of division, would be divided into 8 groups of 5. Each team plays each of their group mates once, for 2 home matches, 2 away matches. Each group winner, plus the next 8 best teams regardless of group, advance to the round of 16 to start knockouts.

This means, every club between the league and cup competitions, would play a minimum of 18 matches (division 3) per season, and a maximum of 28 (if you won the double).

I understand frankly, why many parties involved would be opposed to this, most strongly of course, the French, who really don't need to tinker with their domestic set up at all. Again, I'm not even sure I'd like it in reality. Just a thought I had, wanted to put out there.

Spear tackles were outlawed for the same reason...

That said, Roebuck is very very impressive. Imagine if England picked him, Freeman, and Steward in the same XV and just sent a bomb up every time they got the ball.

Ppl keep saying England need an attacking gameplan that plays to players key strengths...