During this long break let’s take another look at the PWR board’s long-term strategy.
In July 2023 it set out guidelines for the league till 2033.
What we still don’t know when, if ever, across that decade it will intervene to adjust any faults it sees occurring.
To my mind there are several, some of which I have touched on before.
Among its major aims came a “sustainable” competition. Since then Worcester Warriors have fallen by the wayside, to join the other clubs that failed to last the course.
That reduces the league from ten clubs (very sensible) to nine, introducing every sort of imbalance.
A reminder of current standings:
Saracens 35 points
G-H 35
Quins 23
Chiefs 22
L’boro 21
TF 20
Sharks 12
Bears 5
Tigers 1
So the top two are as usual way ahead; the competition comes in the middle regions. Of the two back markers Bristol are the big surprise.
This is how the bottom of the table has looked in recent seasons:
2023-24: 8th Sharks 3 wins, 13 points
9th Tigers 2 wins, 10 points
2024-25: 8th Tigers 3 wins, 18 points
9th Sharks 1 win, 4 points
Since then Sharks have improved strongly, Tigers have not.
Across the period 2017-25 just three winners: Sarries (3), G-H (3) and Quins (once) – rather reminiscent of the 6 Nations?
Question: when, if ever, does the board step in and say enough is enough?
There are those two underlying requirements, off-field support systems and on-field performance. Tigers are struggling to match the second.
But if PWR Ltd did take action, that would leave eight clubs and render the league even more cut-throat.
Who’s the league for?
First, the EQP/NEQP balance. One unconfirmed estimate reckons there are around 118 non-England qualified players in the league out of 350-370; that is roughly 25-33%. (to me it seems far more).
Is that reasonable?
For as long as the Red Roses continue on their unbeaten path, the answer is yes. Unless, that is, you sense that promising English youngsters are being denied entry into their own elite league. And they are.
If the PWR does decide on exacting penalties, will they be purely table points or crippling financial penalties? A couple of years ago Exeter were upset when a match at Sale was called off at the last minute. They asked for recompense. My dimming memory tells me they failed. But it demonstrates that even clubs with an (apparently) healthy bank balance have to count the pennies.
Full-time professionalism? Hoho.
Connected with that is the business of attendance. Do people go to matches to watch the best players in the world or to support their local team, and especially its younger generation?
A similar matter: it’s great that all matches are available for the sofa-bound viewer. But will that transfer to larger gates at matches?
France led the way here. TV at test matches brought huge crowds to watch Les Bleues, but that trend has not spread to Elite 1 club games.
I fear the same may be true for England. The full houses at Twickenham and for the World Cup have not been echoed with larger attendances at PWR games. Yes, the numbers may be rising, but the very absence of precise stats suggests they aren’t what the authorities and TNT would like them to be.
Standards
Unlike many other parts of English society, we can safely say the quality of the rugby on view keeps soaring.
Even Tigers could compile a show-reel that would be the envy of many an international team.
Final thoughts
The PWR board likes to keep its thoughts and actions as veiled as possible.
It may well be in day-to-day contact with every club, but certainly not with the viewing public.
So the nine clubs may know exactly where they stand in the bosses’ view. Let’s hope they can all face the remaining seven of the ten-year programme with optimism.
If a decisive intervention were to come in the near future, it would come as a severe shock to supporting fans.
