A Short History of the Premier 15s
There have been three ground-shifting moments in the six years of the Premier 15s. First, when the league was established in 2017 – who is in; who is out? Second, the change of cast three years later: the clubs retained ecstatic; the clubs ousted distraught beyond measure. Third, December 2022, exactly the same mixture of delighted relief and anguished pain.
The only remaining glimmer of light for the four rejected clubs (DMP Sharks, Sale Sharks, University of Worcester Warriors and Wasps) is that two places still remain unoccupied.
Was it always bound to be like this?
The RFU decided on high standards as it invited the first applications. All ten clubs would be professional, but – most significantly – only off the field. All the back-up staff would be full-time paid employees; the players would remain essentially amateur.
The two unfortunates back then were Lichfield and Thurrock. Combine the best players to wear their colours, and you have the makings of an England side to win a Grand Slam. A random sample:
Aitchison, Braund, Cokayne, Fleetwood, Gulliver, Hunt, Hunter, Lucas, Scarratt, Millar-Mills, Taylor (all Lichfield); plus Burford, Fisher, E. Scott and Wilson (Thurrock)
I’ll stop at fifteen. That seems a sensible figure.
But that glittering array of talent was deemed insufficient for the demands of membership. Other considerations were more important, like financial stability. As appeals were entered, questions were asked in Parliament about the issues involved. It was that serious.
And financial stability is precisely where the Premier 15s continues to fail. As the authorities in charge of the league, now the WP15Ltd, repeat their wish to extend professionalism as part of their 10-year-plan, the warning signs flash on every side.
Men’s professional club rugby in England has failed to find a recipe for success ever since the game went pro in 1995; it swims in debt. The RFU still depends heavily on full houses at Twickenham to keep its head above water.
The Second Convulsion
At the end of the second 3-year-cycle in 2020 two more distinguished clubs, Richmond and Firwood Waterloo, were flung into outer darkness. The two replacement entries, Exeter Chiefs and Sale Sharks, chose different paths to success.
A glance at their progress over the past three seasons shows the one essential commodity is a benevolent millionaire. But millionaires come and go, as happened decisively to Richmond several years ago. The model always quoted is Cecil Duckworth, who built Worcester Warriors more or less from scratch, providing them with a dedicated stadium and the wherewithal to succeed in the men’s game. The women’s team followed in their wake.
When Duckworth died, events took a tumbling course that has led to the disaster that is the present status of the Warriors and their ground at Sixways.
I can view Wasps’ progress only from the outside. It seems to me the moment things started going wrong was when they sold their ground in Sudbury, NW London, without having a ready-made alternative to hand. They shared premises first with QPR football club, then with Wycombe Wanderers, before finally moving into a large-scale stadium in Coventry. Even there they joined forces with Coventry City FC, who have suffered the consequences of their tie-up. Wasps women stayed behind in London as part of an amateur Wasps FC concern. Their playing strength has dissipated almost overnight.
That leaves Darlington Mowden Park Sharks and the other Sharks already mentioned. They represent the north of the country which has always been a rich source of talent for England’s men’s and women’s teams.
DMP have been in the Prem 15s since the start, but over the years they have suffered a grievous loss of talent heading south. Their playing record has become painful reading, but if they remain on the list of the uninvited, that undoes any pretence that the league represents the entire country.
Convulsion No 3
In some ways the current situation is even more concerning than the previous two. Here are a few disturbing stats to give the WP15Ltd and the rest of us the odd sleepless night:
- As of 18 December DMP Sharks have conceded 271 points in four matches
- Wasps have conceded 212 points in four matches and scored precisely 13. And this was a club that regularly disputed the knock-out rounds of the Premier 15s and boasted any number of Red Roses.
- In 2020 the RFU carried out analyses of the well-being (financial and other) of all ten clubs before it accepted them (back) into the elite league. Were these due processes rigorous enough? Ask any Worcester fan. Ask any Wasps fan.
- The Women’s Rugby Association has offered assistance to any player who feels the need for it.
- Of the Red Roses squad of 32 chosen for the 2021 RWC none came from DMP Sharks or Sale Sharks; one from Wasps and two from Worcester Warriors.
- I have my own ideas about which two clubs will be allowed back into the league. But the recurrent question persists: where will they and the two newbies find the playing strength to prosper in an increasingly competitive market?
