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Un projet de fusion entre la Premiership et l’URC à l'étude

Le Leinster (Irlande) et les Leicester Tigers (Angleterre), qui s'affrontent ici en Champions Cup la saison dernière, pourraient se retrouver dans le même championnat si le projet de fusion entre la Premiership et l'URC voyait le jour (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images).

C’est une petite bombe que vient de sortir The Telegraph. Le vénérable quotidien anglais, fondé en 1855, a publié dans son édition du jeudi 12 septembre une information qui pourrait bien changer la face du rugby de clubs outre-Manche.

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Un projet de fusion serait en effet à l’étude entre la Premiership, le championnat anglais, et le United Rugby Championship (URC), la compétition qui regroupe les meilleurs clubs issus d’Irlande, d’Écosse, du pays de Galles, d’Italie et depuis peu d’Afrique du Sud.

La rédaction sportive de The Telegraph explique que « le conseil d’administration de la Premiership est en train d’étudier les moyens stratégiques qui pourraient permettre d’augmenter les droits de diffusion télé, avant le lancement du futur appel d’offres au début de la saison 2026 ».

Sans les clubs italiens et sud-africains

Un des moyens envisagés, selon le journal, pour satisfaire les diffuseurs serait de créer une ligue britannique et irlandaise. Cette solution, qui exclurait de facto les clubs italiens et sud-africains, aurait la préférence des clubs anglais.

D’autres options auraient retenu l’attention des décideurs : la création d’un championnat anglo-gallois, le passage du championnat anglais à 8 clubs, ou au contraire à 12, 14 ou 16 équipes.

La Premiership comprenait au début de la saison 2022-2023 13 clubs, mais n’en compte aujourd’hui plus que dix à la suite des faillites successives de Worcester, des Wasps et des London Irish.

Un championnat britannico-irlandais, malgré une mise en place qui s’avère complexe, tiendrait la corde car il est perçu comme le plus gros potentiel commercial.

Les clubs anglais demandent des garanties

Les clubs anglais, qui ont reçu le week-end dernier un document leur présentant les différentes options auraient posé leurs conditions : ok pour la fusion s’ils ont la garantie que leurs revenus augmenteront de manière significative.

Les discussions risquent d’être âpres pour savoir qui intégrerait ce nouveau championnat. L’URC, anciennement appelée Ligue Celtique, Pro 12 puis Pro 14, compte aujourd’hui 16 équipes : quatre galloises, trois irlandaises, deux écossaises, une nord-irlandaise, deux italiennes et quatre sud-africaines, ces six dernières n’étant a priori pas invitées à la table des négociations.

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Dix équipes issues de l’URC et dix équipes de Premiership : il y aura donc forcément des mécontents à l’arrivée, si jamais cette fusion devait avoir lieu.

 

Visionnez gratuitement le documentaire en cinq épisodes “Chasing the Sun 2” sur RugbyPass TV (*non disponible en Afrique), qui raconte le parcours des Springboks dans leur quête pour défendre avec succès leur titre de Champions du monde de rugby

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Bull Shark 1 hour ago
David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner

Why is Joe Schmidt the best option for Australia? (LONG READ)


An essay for @OJohn with love from South Africa.


OJohn keeps banging on about kiwis and Saffers and everyone else seeking to undermine and bring down Australian rugby… Blah, Blah, Blah. It’s boring and not worth responding too 99 days out of 100.


He misses the point completely that Australians either are or are not the masters of their own destiny. So to blame anyone else but themselves for what the state of Australian rugby is in - is hypocritical.


But recently, Australia has shown signs of life. Personally, I always believed they would be back at some point. At the beginning of this year I predicted that the wallabies would bounce back this year. I predicted that they would overtake England in the world rankings. I am predicting that they could finish second in the RC, could win the Lions series and could make it to a RWC final at home.


I tend to get ahead of myself when I’m excited... Ask my wife. But forgive me for getting excited about the Wallabies looking good! Is it so bad?


Like OJohn, I believe that Australia’s lands abound with natures gifts, including athletic specimens across any sporting code the Aussies compete in. It’s one of the reasons most of us don’t like Aussies. They win sh1t. Regularly. And look smug when they do...


But back to OJohn. And his banging on about the need for Australia to have an Australian coach. Here are a few highlights of his argument:


Several times I've given a list of half a dozen Australian coaches who would be more Australian than Schmidt and just as successful.

Tell me which Australian coaches would be acceptable to coach the All Blacks ......?

Because South Africans and Kiwis and Welshmen and Scotsman are all s.... scared that if an immensely talented and athletic team like Australia is ever able to harness nationalistic Australian passion with an Australian coach, you'll all be s.c.r.e.w.e.d.


And then finally – the list of 6 🥴:


Ewen McKenzie, Less Kiss, Stephen Larkham, Jim McKay, David Nucifora, Scott Wisenthal, Ben Mowen, Rod Kafer, Mick Byrne, John Manetti, Jason Gilmore, Dan McKellar.

Plus, a special request:


Keep in mind Rod MacQueen never won a Super Rugby title before he was appointed Wallaby coach but he ended up the greatest rugby coach the world has ever seen. Better than Erasmus even. Who is probably the next best.

Right. I don’t care about the tinfoil hat theories. I want to assess OJohn’s list and determine whether any of them fit the mold of a Rod Macqueen.

 

Like Rod Macqueen the following world cup winning coaches never won a Super Rugby Title:


·       David Kirk, 1987 (17 appearances for New Zealand)

·       Kitch Kristie, 1995

·       Rod Macqueen, 1999

·       Clive Woodward, 2003 (21 Appearance for England)

·       Jake White, 2007 (School Teacher)

·       Graham Henry, 2011 (School Teacher)

·       Steve Hansen, 2015 (Policeman)

·       Rassie Erasmus, 2019 (36 Appearances for South Africa)

·       Jacques Nienaber, 2023 (Physiotherapist).


I couldn't find out what Rod or Kitch did other than coach.


The only coach who has won a Super title and a World Cup?

·       Bob Dwyer, 1991 (A Tahs man wouldn’t you know!)


In fact coaches that have won super rugby titles have not won world cups. Robbie Deans. Heyneke Meyer to name just two.


I know I’m being childish, but I needed to bring this list in somehow because it’s quite obvious that whatever these coaches did before they became international level coaches is largely immaterial. Or is it?


Interestingly Ewan McKenzie (A Tah Man!) has won a Super title. And despite being a Tah Man made it into OJohn’s list. That’s two strikes for Ewan Mckenzie based on OJohn’s criteria so far. Not to mention his 50% win rate as head coach of the Wallabies between 2013 and 2014 (and the laundry list of off the field fcuk ups that swirled around the team at the time).


So Ewan is out.


I find it interesting that, as we speak, eight out of the ten top ranked men’s teams are coached by former international players:

1.      South Africa, Rassie Erasmus (36 appearances for South Africa)

2.      Ireland, Andy Farrell (8 appearances for England)

3.      New Zealand, Scott Robertson (23 appearances for New Zealan)

4.      France, Fabien Galthie (64 appearances for France)

5.      Argentina, Felipe Contemponi (87 appearances for Argentina)

6.      Scotland, Gregor Townsend (82 appearances for Scotland)

7.      England, Steve Borthwick (57 appearances for England)

8.      Australia, Joe Schmidt (School Teacher)

9.      Fiji, Michael Byrne (Aussie Rules Player)

10.  Italy, Gonzalo Quesada (38 appearances for Argentina).


It would appear as though we have entered an era where successful international coaches, largely, have played rugby at international level in the professional era. Or are ex school teachers. Much like Jake White and Graham Henry! Or a policeman.

 

Back to OJohn’s List. That leaves us with:


·       Less Kiss, (I like the look of)

·       Stephen Larkham, (I like the look of)

·       Jim McKay, (Very little to write home about)

·       David Nucifora, (Too old)

·       Scott Wisenthal, (I literally can’t find anything on him on the Google).

·       Ben Mowen, (Too young, no coaching experience)

·       Rod Kafer, (No coaching experience)

·       Mick Byrne, (He’s coaching the Fijians, Aussie rules!)

·       John Manetti, (Can’t find him on the google)

·       Jason Gilmore, (Seems to be working through the ranks, coaching Wallabies A)

·       Dan McKellar, (Not much to write home about, but could be an option).


Applying some logic, I would say the following are viable options based on age, experience in coaching AND the fact that they have played rugby for Australia in the professional era:

·       Less Kiss, (I like the look of)

·       Stephen Larkham, (I like the look of)

·       Jason Gilmore, (Seems to be working through the ranks, coaching Wallabies A)


After having done all this research, I think it’s fair to say that none of these three have the same pedigree as Joe Schmidt, the teacher. Who took a sh1tty Ireland team to no.1. Won a few 6 Nations and helped get the All Blacks to a world cup final in 2023.


Joe’s the best option for now. But if Kiss, Larkham and Gilmore are the business for the future for Australia get them in now as assistants to Joe and stop moaning!!


Errors and Ommissions Excepted. Mispelling of names is OJohn's fault.

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