The State Of The Championship
By High Tackle

In January of each year the President of the United States gives his State of the Union Address to Congress. I doubt if any of the forty four incumbents of the White House have ever been troubled by the internal wranglings and domestic machinations of English rugby. But as we reach the end of 2009 it is right and proper to consider just where we are right now and how on earth we got here.

One year ago we all knew who would win promotion from what was then National Division One to the Premiership. Unbeaten Leeds sat eight points clear of Exeter, Nottingham were on their heels, and Rotherham, Coventry and Moseley were in the mire just as they are now.

It was expected that Leeds would wobble at some stage and they didn`t disappoint. Defeats at Bedford and Doncaster during March gave the Chiefs huge, albeit outside, chance to sneak past the Yorkshiremen and into the big time. But Pete Drewett`s lot blew it losing three in quick succession as the season entered its final month as they remained the perennial bridesmaids for at least another year.

National One then became the Championship and let’s face it; something had to be done about an uncompetitive league. Esher complained bitterly about their demotion particularly when it became clear that Birmingham & Solihull would be moving in the opposite direction. At least they had the resources to compete. The problem for the Surrey club was that nobody was listening.

The summer saw the Championship format quietly knocked into shape with little publicity outside of the normal circles and no real marketing impetus evident to attract a sponsor. London Welsh were already in trouble long before the big kick-off but boxed clever escaping with only a 5 point deduction from the RFU. However the media rumour mill was working overtime as speculation about the next likely casualty mounted.

In the meantime Bristol quietly went about putting in place a structure to ensure a realistic push at promotion and the big drum at Sandy Park was banged loudly to rally the troops. Glory would surely be theirs this time, wouldn’t it?

The convoy of twelve set sail towards the deep and perilous waters of mid-season with the Bees already falling behind. A torpedo from the Inland Revenue all but sunk them and as the lifeboats were readied and others jumped overboard the end seemed nigh. Somehow they survived but for how long we shall have to wait and see.

Amidst widespread speculation that London Welsh were also doomed Coventry took a massive hit amidships. They are limping on for now but the end of the season and a chance to regroup must seem like a million miles away for those who are left.

It is the easiest thing in the world to blame the RFU for this mess because, quite frankly, domestic rugby in England is in a mess. But too many clubs have lived beyond their means or have been unrealistic in their ambitions for too long and with credit so much harder to get in the recession they have been found out.

Under current circumstances there are probably only five teams in the Championship unlikely to implode financially. They are Bristol and Exeter, Bedford Blues, Doncaster Knights and the Cornish Pirates. Each team has the potential and ambition to compete at the top level. Bristol and Exeter have almost the full package with the required support base, a stadium and a solid business model in place. Doncaster have the backing of two benefactors and an ever-improving ground but they lack support – current figures have their home attendance average at below 1,500.

London Welsh are a curious case with apparently cash to spend when they need it. But they do not own their ground, have been so far able to negotiate a move to somewhere suitable for Premiership rugby and are in the same league as Doncaster when it comes to crowd levels.

Bedford, the Pirates and also Plymouth Albion fight hard for their success and are fortunate to have the backing of benefactors. Coupled with solid support bases and good business models they are all moving in the right direction but each desperately needs better facilities. The problem is that in order to move up to the top flight the RFU will insist that each club spends a fortune to satisfy the entry criteria. Has common sense gone out of the window? You bet. Does this make the Premiership elitist? Do I need to answer that?

The Championship is getting to the interesting bit now with the Play-Offs at both ends of the table starting in March. Once again those who would stifle competition and ambition by blocking promotion and relegation to the Premiership are seeking vehicles for their narrow-mindedness, whilst those with the most to lose in the Play-offs are getting twitchy.

In this week’s Rugby Paper former England international Mark Regan argues that halting relegation from the Premiership would cut injuries. In an article which first appeared in Bristol’s Evening Post he claims that Premiership rugby is stifled by a fear factor – the fear of losing, relegation, and financial hardship. As a result players are putting their bodies on the line to secure results.

Regan, a member of Clive Woodward’s 2003 World Cup winning squad, states:
“I’d bring Exeter and Bristol into the Premiership and then say “that’s your lot”. I`m convinced it will decrease the levels of injuries we see.”

The Rugby Paper also quotes Exeter hooker Alex Clark who, assuming his comments have been used in the correct context, clearly isn`t a fan of the Championship Play-Offs.

Clark says, “I think whoever wins the league should go up otherwise what’s the point of playing an entire season? It doesn’t seem right that you can spend all season getting results and then go out to a side who have just hit the right form or got a little bit of luck.”

Now that’s a bit rich considering the Chiefs have lost their last two matches in 2009 and no longer top the table. The other consideration is that if Clark and his squad do make it to the Premiership they will find the title there settled by, erm Play-Offs.

They also quote Rotherham Titans centre Kevin Maggs, who rejoined the club in October, on the subject of the relegation Play-offs. Maggs says,
“Two teams have been in a world of financial trouble, they’re cut adrift and yet they have as good a chance as us to survive. I can’t understand that. To me it’s just ridiculous. Complete madness.”

Maggs has got a point to a degree but there was always a good chance that Bees and Coventry would end up in the bottom four in any case. It will be survival of the fittest down there and that should make for good box office.

However Worcester Warriors chairman Cecil Duckworth has told the Birmingham Post that he thinks a two or three year moratorium on the promotion and relegation issue would serve the game well.

Duckworth too calls for an expansion of the Premiership to 14 clubs but bases his argument on the fact that whoever wins the Championship Play-Offs has little or no time to prepare for Premiership rugby.

He says, “If there were no play-offs Exeter may start to recruit now. They can’t do that at the moment so it’s tough.” Duckworth continues, “If it came in they would all go a bit mad, but if they all had a three year period to consolidate a real strategy and make a five-year plan of being in the Premiership it might work for them too.”

The problems for the Play-Off winner exist in soccer between the Premiership and Championship too. Burnley are a case in point this season as they struggle to survive at the higher level having only nailed promotion in late May. It’s just that the financial figures in play in this sport tend to contain a few more noughts.

Duckworth also suggests an expanded Premiership operating along the lines of America’s NFL with a regional conference system making up the regular season before the Play-Offs. This is surely worthy of consideration.

But back in the real world 2010 is about to begin and regardless of the failings of the current system this Championship season is building for a cracking finale. The Cornish Pirates have just emerged from the chasing pack into third place after a crushing defeat of Plymouth Albion. Bristol are quietly going about their business whilst a few chinks have appeared in the armour of the Chiefs on and off the field.

Nottingham and Bedford can beat anybody on their day and although the nightmare start to the season seems to be behind Doncaster Knights, they are hardly winning plaudits for entertainment value.

At the wrong end of the table two of the bottom four places are assured with Birmingham and Coventry having booked their tickets. Moseley, the team of two halves, and Rotherham look like they might join them.

So with three Midlands teams in the brown and smelly stuff it was just a little bit rich recently when one Birmingham journalist slated the Pirates and London Welsh for their apparent obsession with mid-table mediocrity. A quick glance at the current league table should set the record quickly straight on that count.

The promotion shoot-out promises be tremendous for the supporters. With promotion wide open right until the final act of the season in a two-leg final the potential for clubs to attract big crowds and earn good money instead of going through the motions in the weeks of dead rubbers we have been faced with before is not to be sneezed at. The new system may vex some people within the game but is it not better that clubs are able to generate enough profit to survive in the long term? Nobody wants to see players looking for new jobs in mid-season.

So it is back to business this weekend with Round 16 of the Championship and still everything to play for. There’s a lot of drama to happen between now and the final for sure but just what odds would you give me on neither Bristol nor the Chiefs winning the big game in May?

The views expressed by High Tackle are his own.