I was interested to see that that Ealing Trailfinders won a tight one, 27-26, against Saracens this weekend in the opening match of the Trailfinders Challenge Cup.
Yes, perhaps it was, effectively, just a glorified pre-season friendly as preparation for the start of the Championship season in March and, yes, it was against a Saracens team shorn of its England contingent (other than Billy V) as well as 8 players banned for their breach of Covid protocols with the Barbarians in October. But it was a victory nonetheless against the team universally expected to win this season’s Championship.
Two reasons for my interest: firstly, although by means a committed fan, Saracens are my local professional club and contribute hugely to rugby locally; and, two, Ealing were the club I played for when I first moved to London back in the late eighties and where I spent many a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday evening propping up the clubhouse bar.
As a club Ealing has come on leaps and bounds since those heady days playing on dodgy pitches in Greenford, West London. Backed financially by Mike Gooley, owner of the Trailfinders travel company, Ealing do now look as if they are set to be, after Saracens, the next cab off the rank as far as the Premiership goes.
I have long maintained that there simply isn’t enough money in the domestic game to support two fully professional leagues of 12. But there are a few clubs in the Championship, Ealing amongst them, who could probably make an economic and playing case for inclusion in the top tier.
A revamp of professional domestic rugby in England is undoubtedly long overdue and, after nearly 12 months of disruption to the game caused by Covid-19, now would appear to be as good a time as any to take some bold steps forward for professional club rugby in England.
Sadly, however, the RFU is hardly known for its visionary thinking, whilst the Premiership clubs remain driven by self-interest. There has been talk of “ring-fencing” in the past, and currently there are rumours of a two season moratorium on relegation from the Premiership and a possible future “play off” game between the bottom Premiership team and the Championship winners but, to me, this would be no more than mere tinkering.
The powers that be really do need to think bigger but I expect that conservatism and the status quo will prevail, at least until sufficient outside investment (from the likes of CVC, perhaps) comes into the game to provide the impetus required.
Total Flanker – the older I get, the better I was
Source:
https://www.totalflanker.co.uk/2021/01/ealing-making-their-case.html
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