Tuesday 30 June 2015

Common sense prevails for once

Hallelujah the WRU have seen the light!
Everyone now knows what is happening in the Premiership/Championship over the next few years. The expansion of the Premiership to 16 clubs will not take place until 2016-17 season. Pontypool know exactly what they need to do to achieve promotion – finish in the top four of the clubs with the A Licence next season.
It seems simple when you say it quickly but I am sure that there will be many twists and turns and much angst along the way. Promotion is far from assured unless there are only four clubs with the A Licence. Success or failure is completely in our own hands however.
Carpe diem Pooler. We are all behind you.


Thursday 25 June 2015

Mid-summer Murder

I suppose it wouldn’t be normal if all was peace and harmony in Welsh Rugby during the summer. Just when we need the rugby nation to come together before the Rugby World Cup we are at each other’s throats again.
This time it is about the structure of the Premiership and who should represent Wales in the British and Irish Cup competition. The idea that the Region’s should field a development team to play in said cup has not met with universal approval. The knock-on effect of this move would be that the Premiership clubs would not have enough rugby to be viable. The answer of course is to increase the size of the Premiership. Well that doesn’t seem too bad does it? Pontypridd do not agree and they feel that as champions and by far the strongest side in the Premiership that they should get to compete in the B&I Cup. This debate rages on.
If the dust does settle on this argument then there is the vexed question of how big the Premiership should be. Most people would say that it should consist of sixteen clubs – now this seems vaguely familiar to those of us with grey hair. This doesn’t seem too bad does it?
So when would the changes be implemented? 2016-17, 2017-18? No next season yes just a couple of months or so from now!
We in Pontypool suddenly prick up our ears. We of course were the big casualty when the WRU in their wisdom decided that the Premiership was too big with fourteen clubs. Could we get the call?
There are only three clubs in the Championship who have the WRU A Licence which is regarded as mandatory to participate in the Premiership – Swansea, RGC 1404 and Pontypool. Even though Pooler finished fifth, we must be in with a shout surely. Merthyr who finished third are making a huge clamour on the back of Stan Thomas’ cash and contend that they will be in a position to satisfy the A Licence criteria by the end of next month. Bargoed the runaway champions are not close to satisfying the criteria but are looking at alternative venues. (If Bargoed were to get the A Licence it would make you wonder how Newport avoided relegation – but that’s another argument).
So it’s watch this space for now. The WRU have delayed their decision but the clock is ticking and the clubs really do not need a hiatus of this magnitude with the new season just around the corner. It’s not just the Premiership of course – the impact would cascade down through the entire league structure.
Wouldn’t it be sensible to have a Premiership that looked like this:

Dragons Region
Newport
Ebbw Vale
Cross Keys
Pontypool

Blues Region (Pies)
Cardiff
Merthyr
Bedwas
Pontypridd (pies off the menu)

Ospreys Region
Aberavon
Swansea
Bridgend
Neath

Scarlets Region
Llanelli
RGC 1404
Llandovery
Carmarthen Quins


But then I would say that wouldn’t I! You might say this is pie in the sky.