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#Post#: 130264--------------------------------------------------
IPL-style breakaway league
DIR By: Bod
Date: November 15, 2024, 3:42 am
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HTML https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/rugbyleague/rugby-s-leading-players-committed-to-ipl-style-breakaway-league/ar-AA1u6liC?ocid=msedgntp&pc=ASTS&cvid=94c04be1e3174594baaaaa0da46f6205&ei=6
"Plans for a breakaway global rugby league featuring the top 200
players in the world playing for eight franchise clubs at
‘Formula One style’ festivals across major cities are said to be
in advanced stages, Telegraph Sport can reveal.
Sources claim that a “significant majority” of leading players
have already committed to the new project that could see them
forced to choose between club and country if World Rugby and the
unions within each nation block the move.
It is understood the breakaway league is being funded by a small
group of UK and US investors who want to reset the club game in
a vein similar to the IPL’s impact on cricket amid mounting
concerns about the long-term financial viability of the sport.
They are targeting a start date of 2026 for the new tournament.
The move represents an immediate challenge for World Rugby’s new
chairman Brett Robinson, who warned that the sustainability of
the game is “at crisis point” after winning Thursday’s election
in Dublin, replacing outgoing chair Sir Bill Beaumont.
The proposed league is thought to represent the most serious
challenge to the world order since Kerry Packer, the Australian
media tycoon, sought to recruit leading players in 1995 when the
game turned professional, only for the national unions to retain
control.
It is understood the plans include:
Eight franchises to go out to auction, with a number of
countries represented
Signing up the leading 200 players in the world
Each franchise to play each other twice across 14 rounds
Matches would be played across various major cities as a
‘travelling festival’ similar to Formula One
Organisers would ensure the rugby festival is the ‘biggest
event’ in that city each weekend and in new territories for the
sport
A new women’s full-time professional league
To promote players as sporting personalities
The London-based global advisory firm Milltown Partners are
understood to be spearheading efforts to cast the net over
professional rugby players across the globe. One inside source
told Telegraph Sport: “These guys are big players.”
Backers of the new league insist that players would still be
available to play Test rugby for their countries and that
domestic leagues would remain in place, but the new tournament
would revolutionise the profile of the sport.
“We want more fan engagement, a better product on the field,
fewer games for players and a commercial model to allow more
money to flow into the game at every level by appealing to new
audiences,” said another source.
“We want to remove barriers of entry to the sport by taking it
to all corners of the world. There will be a full release for
international games because that is the pinnacle for every
player, but we want to enhance and amplify the sport to protect
its future.”
‘IPL-style’
Recent reports in South Africa have suggested that several South
African players have been contacted about an “IPL-style”
tournament that would provisionally take place in the US in
2026, which received strong interest from those spoken to.
Lucrative salaries in the region of $900,000 (£708,000) would,
the report states, be put on the table for those willing to take
the risk, given any such competition could potentially throw
international participation into jeopardy.
It is understood that several agents and executives within rugby
administration have already been asked to sign non-disclosure
agreements in order to advance negotiations.
Telegraph Sport has spoken to other agents who are not part of
the negotiations but who are aware of the new venture, which
would require mammoth financial backing to get off the ground
owing to ongoing player contracts and agreements.
A court battle beckons
One source estimated that £500 million would be a minimum
requirement. Another suggested that although unions were largely
unaware of these proposals, they were further down the line than
was widely appreciated.
The same insider explained that the backdrop of the current Test
window, with teams from around the world based in Europe and
officials congregating for World Rugby elections and high-level
meetings, represented an opportunity for plans to gather
momentum.
Should the concept continue apace, those leading it will have to
prepare for a fight with the various unions and governing
bodies, who will take a dim view of their main players turning
their backs on the international stage. A court battle would
beckon.
The development comes during a period of uncertainty for global
rugby. In September, Telegraph Sport revealed that the
Premiership clubs had backed the league’s executive board to
explore a possible Anglo-Irish league venture, although it is
understood that those talks are yet to progress. World Rugby’s
tight calendar makes the introduction of new competitions
incredibly difficult to navigate."
It'd be interesting to know the identities of the backers which
might give a better understanding as to where this might all
lead? The US market is a tough one to crack but I'm guessing
that's the ultimate game plan given they host RWC 2031.
#Post#: 130265--------------------------------------------------
Re: IPL-style breakaway league
DIR By: Rocker
Date: November 15, 2024, 3:56 am
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I'm guessing that the "central contract " England players won't
be able to go....
#Post#: 130266--------------------------------------------------
Re: IPL-style breakaway league
DIR By: poorfour
Date: November 15, 2024, 3:57 am
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It's an interesting proposition. But there are several obvious
key concerns:
- 200 / 8 = 25. That is not a big enough squad size for a 14
match tournament. It's less than many teams would take to an
away game if you allow for traveling reserves; the player pool
probably needs to be at least 33 per club, and probably more
like 40.
- 14 superclub matches + 12 internationals per year means that
these players won't be playing any lower level games
- So what it does to the club game outside of that? The
superclubs will be dependent on other clubs to develop players
and provide injury cover, so there needs to be money flowing
from the superclubs to the national leagues. How do you do that
equitably?
- How do national leagues keep going when their best players
aren't available to them and everyone knows that this season's
wunderkind could be off to play globally next year? If you're
essentially a glorified feeder club, does the Prem end up as
Championship II?
- As a fan, what do you end up paying for? Do you have to buy a
separate ST for superclub, or is there a way for it to be
bundled with a local club? Will there be a unified TV deal?
There are some positives. I suspect it's less of an issue for
Ireland, say, given how they manage their players today. And to
some degree it reins in France's dominance of the club game.
Worth exploring, but there is a heck of a lot to work out. And
if the backers are aiming for a fully breakaway tournament it
could be very damaging for the rest of the sport.
#Post#: 130273--------------------------------------------------
Re: IPL-style breakaway league
DIR By: QuincyJones
Date: November 15, 2024, 5:05 am
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Not a cat's chance in hell this gets off the ground
#Post#: 130276--------------------------------------------------
Re: IPL-style breakaway league
DIR By: thatchapcarnell
Date: November 15, 2024, 5:29 am
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Eight franchises? But a number of countries represented?
How does this not become a weird pseudo-national franchise?
England
Scotland
Wales
Ireland
France
RSA
NZ
Oz
There's 8 teams and no representation from Argentina, Japan,
Italy, any of the Pacific Island teams etc etc....
All sounds bizarre....players would need to be out of contract
to sign up for it so that limits you further in your player pool
and the national federations could prevent international players
signing up so that means you'd only be getting old farts looking
for a last payday or second string players. And who is going to
pay mega-bucks to see that?
The IPL works because it's one country and based in
mega-populated cities. It's not a travelling circus like F1.
Trying to combine those two idea seems crackers. Rugby 7s do it
I guess but that's again at a national level and with only 8
franchises you can't do that without losing some big names and
big audiences.
I'm inclined to agree that this won't get off the ground.
#Post#: 130277--------------------------------------------------
Re: IPL-style breakaway league
DIR By: A222Quin
Date: November 15, 2024, 5:32 am
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The IPL worked because India has over a billion people for whom
cricket is and always has been their main team sport by an
absolute mile. Rugby doesn't have that home market and pie in
the sky dreams about making the US that market are just that.
For all its faults and now it has grown tentacles, the IPL was
in addition of existing structures. This looks like it'll blow
most of it sideways which whill go down really well and won't in
anyway lead to courtroom battles etc...
#Post#: 130283--------------------------------------------------
Re: IPL-style breakaway league
DIR By: never sleep
Date: November 15, 2024, 6:23 am
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The challenge with rugby (which is alluded to by poorfour in the
earlier post) is injuries / squad sizes.
Basically, rugby players can't play more than one game per week.
Their bodies won't cope. Also, you need big squad sizes to deal
with injuries.
If rugby could be played in a similar fashion to cricket where
you could potentially play 4 games in 6 days, then you would
have loads of options available.
For example - I was in Barbados a few months ago. The CPL
cricket tournament was on at the time.
From memory, Barbados played on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and
Tuesday. Loads of fans from other islands came to watch multiple
games and it was good.
Sadly, this wouldn't work for rugby.
#Post#: 130284--------------------------------------------------
Re: IPL-style breakaway league
DIR By: A222Quin
Date: November 15, 2024, 6:26 am
---------------------------------------------------------
--- Quote from: never sleep link ---
>
> The challenge with rugby (which is alluded to by poorfour in
the earlier post) is injuries / squad sizes.
> Basically, rugby players can't play more than one game per
week. Their bodies won't cope. Also, you need big squad sizes to
deal with injuries.
>
> If rugby could be played in a similar fashion to cricket where
you could potentially play 4 games in 6 days, then you would
have loads of options available.
>
> For example - I was in Barbados a few months ago. The CPL
cricket tournament was on at the time.
> From memory, Barbados played on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
and Tuesday. Loads of fans from other islands came to watch
multiple games and it was good.
>
> Sadly, this wouldn't work for rugby.
>
--- End Quote ---
Also very true.
#Post#: 130295--------------------------------------------------
Re: IPL-style breakaway league
DIR By: thatchapcarnell
Date: November 15, 2024, 8:32 am
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--- Quote from: never sleep link ---
>
> The challenge with rugby (which is alluded to by poorfour in
the earlier post) is injuries / squad sizes.
> Basically, rugby players can't play more than one game per
week. Their bodies won't cope. Also, you need big squad sizes to
deal with injuries.
>
> If rugby could be played in a similar fashion to cricket where
you could potentially play 4 games in 6 days, then you would
have loads of options available.
>
> For example - I was in Barbados a few months ago. The CPL
cricket tournament was on at the time.
> From memory, Barbados played on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
and Tuesday. Loads of fans from other islands came to watch
multiple games and it was good.
>
> Sadly, this wouldn't work for rugby.
>
--- End Quote ---
I don't think this is quite what is being suggested.
It would be an 8 team league (for want of a better word) so four
matches every round. But all four would take place over one
weekend (Fri, 2 x Sat and Sun for eg) all in the same place (eg
Twickenham) before the whole circus ups and leaves for another
venue (eg Paris) the following week or two weeks.
So the players would still only play one game per "block" if
that makes sense. They aren't playing four games in quick
succession.
Think of it like going to a 7s tournament. Except 15s. And with
teams with stupid names and kits.
#Post#: 130298--------------------------------------------------
Re: IPL-style breakaway league
DIR By: poorfour
Date: November 15, 2024, 9:02 am
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Yes... but they're still playing 14 games over the season and
you're not going to get through that with a squad of 25.
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