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       #Post#: 109815--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Irish
   DIR By: Archquin
       Date: June 6, 2023, 1:32 pm
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       Prem rugby is dying 😓
       #Post#: 109816--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Irish
   DIR By: FatQuin
       Date: June 6, 2023, 1:35 pm
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       Starting to wonder if those silly stars on the Cheats shirts are
       for illegitimate trophy wins or clubs they have helped bankrupt.
       #Post#: 109818--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Irish
   DIR By: Mandator
       Date: June 6, 2023, 1:56 pm
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       Rugby Union are going to have to put out a positive statement
       for the future other than announce the demise of Irish. The
       inclusion of Championship clubs in the Premiership Cup is a big
       positive any any thing else would be a bonus. What about some
       input from some of the Premiership Clubs owners/patrons-all very
       successful business men.
       #Post#: 109820--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Irish
   DIR By: J Scott
       Date: June 6, 2023, 2:53 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Another really sad day for English rugby. Feel for the players,
       staff and fans affected by this.
       While the sharks will be swarming (including us no doubt) for
       the players let’s first pause and acknowledge how much this
       would affects if we were in their shoes.
       #Post#: 109821--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Irish
   DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
       Date: June 6, 2023, 3:22 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Rivalries and other feelings opinions aside, this is a very sad
       day for rugby. To lose 3 clubs in quick succession, ripping the
       heart out of players careers, and fans dreams and traditions is
       terrible. I just hope there’s a complete overhaul of how things
       are from top to bottom, but fear this won’t be the last story
       this year of a top rugby team going under.
       #Post#: 109822--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Irish
   DIR By: Quinspirational
       Date: June 6, 2023, 3:28 pm
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       It’s a sad time especially for the players that haven’t had the
       time to establish themselves yet so won’t be on great money and
       might not be first on the list to get picked up by another club.
       The RFU need to step in here making sure players welfare is
       looked after and help all find new clubs.
       #Post#: 109823--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Irish
   DIR By: Nico Wilson
       Date: June 6, 2023, 3:48 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       Joint statement from RFU, Prem Rugby and the RPA:
  HTML https://www.premiershiprugby.com/news/london-irish-statement
       --- Quote ---
       >
       >
       > Joint statement from RFU, Premiership Rugby and RPA:
       >
       > As a result of London Irish and its potential buyers being
       unable to provide reassurances over the club’s financial ability
       to operate in the Premiership in the 2023/24 season, the RFU has
       confirmed the club is not able to participate in any league next
       season.
       >
       > The RFU’s Club Financial Viability Group allowed an extra
       week’s extension however, the club has failed to meet its
       commitments to pay staff and players in full for May.
       >
       > The decision was taken after six months of talks to take over
       the club failed to materialise and to provide certainty to staff
       and players, thereby allowing them to seek alternative
       employment. The move also provides clarity to other clubs in the
       league and prevents a situation where the club goes into
       administration part way through a season.
       >
       > The RFU, Premiership Rugby and the RPA has been in regular
       dialogue with the club to support the takeover and provide
       regular updates to players and staff.  Today the three
       organisations have announced they have launched a hardship fund
       for players and staff who are most in need of financial support.
       >
       > Funded by the RFU and PRL, the hardship fund will be
       administered by Restart the official charity of the RPA; the
       fund will also be available to those in need following the Wasps
       and Worcester insolvencies.
       >
       > Bill Sweeney RFU CEO said: “This is desperately sad news for
       everyone who is part of the London Irish community as well as
       all the players, fans, staff and volunteers for whom this club
       means so much.
       >
       > “Working alongside Premiership Rugby, the RPA and London Irish
       over recent months, our collective first priority has been to do
       the utmost to secure the long-term viability of the club and the
       protection of its players and staff.
       >
       > “To achieve this, it was imperative that transparent evidence
       of funding be presented to us. This would have been either by
       the proposed buyers undertaking to provide all required working
       capital to meet the club’s obligations for at least the 2023-24
       season; or the club providing evidence that it would continue to
       fund its operations throughout the 2023/24 season.
       >
       > “Despite requesting this evidence over the last six months and
       receiving assurances on multiple occasions that we would receive
       proof of ownership and funds; it has not materialised.
       >
       > “In the event that it would ultimately not be possible to save
       London Irish, our second priority has always been to avoid the
       club entering an unplanned insolvency mid-season. This was to
       prevent the huge disruption to players, staff, and fans, as well
       as on the remainder of the league and sporting integrity of the
       Premiership and Championship, that we witnessed with the demise
       of Wasps and Worcester. In the absence of transparent proof of
       reliable long-term funding, and for the duty of care for all
       involved at the club, the sad decision has now been taken to
       suspend the club from RFU leagues.
       >
       > “The RFU, working with Premiership Rugby and the RPA, has been
       in constant dialogue with players to inform them of the
       situation.  Collectively we have established a hardship fund to
       support those players and staff most in need and we will be
       working closely with London Irish to confirm what the future of
       rugby at the club looks like. With regret, this will not be in
       any league next season.
       >
       > “The RFU will ensure the London Irish Developing Player
       Pathway and Academy continues, taking over the running of these
       programmes if required.”
       >
       > Tom Ilube, Chair of the RFU Board added: “London Irish is a
       proud and storied institution, and this is an outcome no-one
       involved with rugby wanted to see. Rugby has an underlying need
       to professionalise its management off the pitch, just as it has
       done on the pitch over the past 25 years. Covid 19 accelerated
       the impacts of underlying structural challenges and had a major
       effect on PRL clubs and the RFU. Given the cost-of-living
       crisis, the post Covid 19 bounce-back has been weaker than
       expected, and that has meant clubs with unsustainable business
       models have gone out of business – regrettably so for players
       and their fans.
       >
       > “To thrive, rugby clubs need to have a wide-ranging offering
       and varied revenue streams. All three clubs that have failed
       this season have had fragile business models for many years. The
       structure and ownership of a stadium is a factor alongside
       reliance on a single funder, challenging societal trends,
       financial mismanagement, and an insufficiently large fan base.
       Not all three clubs had all these issues, but they faced a
       combination of these factors over many years before Covid and
       the current economic downturn.”
       >
       > “We, along with PRL and its investors will use the remodelling
       of the new Professional Game Agreement, to create a more
       sustainable game for professional rugby.
       >
       > “It is the specific job of the RFU, as the national governing
       body for rugby union in England, to reinvest revenues in the
       overall growth of the game both at a community and professional
       level; we currently contribute £25 million to the Premiership
       each year but cannot continue to invest in failing business
       models. That means tough investment decisions.  There is a
       thriving community club at London Irish Amateur RFC and we will
       help to facilitate discussions that support the London Irish
       name to live on in England.”
       >
       > Premiership Rugby chief exec Simon Massie-Taylor said: “We are
       extremely mindful of the impact this news has on players and
       staff at London Irish and that is exactly why we have set up the
       Hardship Fund to support players and staff most impacted.
       >
       > "I thank the other Premiership Rugby clubs for supporting this
       and the RPA for helping implement the scheme.
       >
       > "We fully appreciate that this does not compensate for the
       loss of jobs or the impact it has on fans, but we are committed
       to working with all stakeholders to create a professional rugby
       system that London Irish can re-enter at the right time.
       >
       > “As a league we are making significant progress in
       recalibrating so that Premiership Rugby prospers in the seasons
       ahead.”
       >
       > “In the meantime, if an owner decides to withdraw financial
       support for a club, we have limited options to keep it going.”
       >
       > Christian Day, General Secretary of the RPA said: “The loss of
       London Irish, a proud club with a rich playing history, is
       undoubtedly sad. The human impact of this failure will affect
       more than 100 players and staff who are now faced with
       uncertainty and will leave many thousands of fans without their
       beloved club.
       >
       > “Learning from the experiences of Wasps and Worcester and
       working in partnership with Premiership Rugby and the RFU, we
       have been able to create a hardship fund to be administered by
       the RPA’s charity, Restart. This fund will be utilised to
       support both players and staff who are most in need of support.
       >
       > “It is clear that much positive change is required in order to
       evolve our playing and working environment so as to match the
       demands of modern professionalism. The RPA will continue to work
       in partnership with the games other stakeholders in order to
       ensure that rugby union in this country emerges stronger and
       more stable in future, with the players at its centre.”
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       #Post#: 109824--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Irish
   DIR By: Quinky
       Date: June 6, 2023, 4:06 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: MaidstoneQuin link ---
       >
       > but fear this won’t be the last story this year of a top rugby
       team going under.
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Who else do you think will go under?
       #Post#: 109827--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Irish
   DIR By: Nico Wilson
       Date: June 6, 2023, 11:08 pm
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Quinky link ---
       >
       > Who else do you think will go under?
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       Ruck are suggesting Exeter and Leicester….
  HTML https://www.ruck.co.uk/failed-to-come-good-two-more-premiership-clubs-at-risk-with-london-irish-suspended/
       #Post#: 109829--------------------------------------------------
       Re: Irish
   DIR By: MaidstoneQuin
       Date: June 7, 2023, 1:32 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote from: Quinky link ---
       >
       > Who else do you think will go under?
       >
       --- End Quote ---
       I think possibly Exeter looking at things overall but I think a
       lot of sides (certainly the low attendance ones bar Sarries)
       will have one eye over their shoulder
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