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'I bet the RFU wishes they had a viable second tier of rugby'
By Liam Heagney
Seasoned Championship player Ollie Stedman has criticised the RFU for its mismanagement of the second tier of English rugby and has called on the league not to accommodate the suspended Worcester or Wasps for the 2023/24 season due to the parachute payments they would potentially still receive for dropping down a division.
The past week had been an extraordinary time for the Gallagher Premiership with Worcester and Wasps both suspended by their RFU after falling into administration due to their respective financial troubles.
Worcester have been automatically relegated and suspended from the remainder of the current Premiership season while Wasps have only been suspended for now - even though the penalty for any top-flight club falling into administration is automatic relegation.
With the Championship title winners for the 2022/23 season not allowed to be promoted, the arrival of Worcester and Wasps into the second tier would see that current twelve-team tournament jump to 14 teams for the 2023/24 season.
Clubs in the Championship have had their funding drastically cut in recent years by the RFU and Stedman, who has represented Newcastle, London Welsh, Doncaster, Leeds, Ealing and Bedford during his numerous seasons in the second tier, had plenty to say on social media after it emerged that Wasps had followed Worcester into collapse.
The 31-year-old back-rower, who this season is playing for Birmingham Moseley in National One having spent last season with Bedford in the Championship, wrote on Twitter: “I bet the RFU wishes they had a viable second tier of rugby. This could afford the 80 or so rugby players who have lost their jobs a proper wage and opportunity to stay in the game… like it used to do. But after all, turkeys voted for Xmas.
“Let’s see how far the goalposts move with how many Wasps blazer boys are entrenched in the RFU hierarchy. The RFU pay these clubs millions a year to function like that. They have facilitated the Premiership and national team at the sake of all other rugby from tier two to grassroots.
“I hope they [the Championship] refuse them unless the RFU increases the funding per club as Worcester/Wasps will still get their £3-5million parachute payment.”
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Latest Comments
My ‘fantasy’ team V Ireland,
Including options from ABXV if needed, as V Mun better V Ireland better prep than England.
The most important aspect V Ireland is AB need ALL their loosies AND 'loosie capable locks' on ALL match [except IF(?) any tiring ie the aging & slowing eg Cane]. As follows,
{starting} bench (3rd choice)
1 {De Groot} / Tu’ungafasi (Williams)
2 { anyone that can throw!! }/ Aumua (Brodie McAlister)
Ryan! coach lineouts & Aumua to throw!
3 {Lomax}/ Tosi (Newell )
Tosi immense strength V England
4,5 Locks { P.Tuipulotu, S.Barrett }, Vaa’i, Darry
( Isaia Walker-Leawere)
Vaa’i off V Eng. Assumed due to leg injury(?)
6,7,8 Loose forwards { Sititi, A.Savea, Cane } Vaa’i, S.Barrettm, P.Tuipulotu back up (Devan Flanders, Du'Plessis Kirifi )
9 {Roigard } Ratima ( TJ )
10 {D.McK} Perofeta ( Plummer)
12 {J.Barrett } ALB ( Q.Tupaea )
13 {Proctor} Ioane ( AJ Lam )
Ioane (off V England ) but Irish experience (NO not Sexton!)
14 { Tele’a} Reece (bkup W.Jordan )
11 {C.Clarke} Narawa (K.Naholo)
15 {W.Jordan} Love (Stevenson)
Go to commentsI guess the other option would be to start ALB, he's looked good in the 12 so far when he starts and sets up those outside him. But that would mean putting the vice captain on the bench, which is unlikely. Another option would be to drop Reiko to the bench and play Proctor, though he's gone home so that's not going to happen either.
Both of those players just offer more of the soft distribution skills good centres learn from playing their careers there. Unfortunately that's what's lacking with the current combo.
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