The West Regional Committee Have Given Us Something To Chew On

WELL DONE, the West Region Competitions Committee. They might have a big problem just now, with convener Bill McMurtrie's ill-health (and get well real soon please Bill), but secretary John Giles and his team have managed to make a significant contribution to the debate this week.

They have circulated, for discussion among the clubs, a series of projections as to how the Regional Leagues could look if changes are implemented for next season. Right now, these are merely up for discussion, but, kudos to the team for getting the talking started.

I am obliged to Weegie R Ugby for putting the proposals into the wider public sphere: they have saved me a lot of time, in that I am able to cut and paste from that excellent site.

Here are the proposals the Competitions Committee would like us to ruminate upon:

These tables were formulated on the basis of league positions as of February 23, so, there could be changes between then and the end of the season, nothing is as yet cast in stone.

Now, the elephant in the room is, these discussion tables take no account of what might happen further up the food chain – there is an SGM coming up at the end of this month, and who knows what might happen then.

There is a reference to the possibility of Hillhead-Jordanhill, the lowest-ranked of the five West Region clubs in Tennent's National Three perhaps being relegated. This, however, assumes there will still be three National Leagues next season.

My own view is that three National Leagues,is at least one too-many. I would personally go for a maximum of two “National” club leagues, entry to which would be limited to clubs which could meet strict infrastructure rules.

My own preference is for a league system similar to that in the vast Caledonia Region – a region-wide Regional League for the best clubs – those which might have a change of getting into the National Leagues and perhaps climbing up them; under-pinned by more localised leagues, similar to scenario four, above.

Players, we hear, don't like the all-day, long haul trips, such as Lochaber to Moffat and vice versa, so, while the discussion document, I thoroughly support and commend, I think it needs a bit of work on which clubs go where.

Personally, I reckon ten-club leagues maximum, would be the ideal, and if the season could be structured so we could bring back County Cups, and the much-missed, by a lot of us old-timers, the Glasgow District Knock-Out Cup, perhaps with localised groupings in the early rounds, I think you would find players enthused and re-energised.

Still, it is good we have a debate under way.

SPEAKING OF debate, the one about the World League rumbles on. Exiled Scot Gregor Paul, now writing about rugby for the New Zealand Herald came up with a genuine “Exclusive” on Thursday, when he broke the story of how World Rugby seemed set to give their proposed 12-nation league the go-ahead. Gregor also revealed, talks were seemingly at an advanced stage with a TV company, which would garner between 10 and 14 million New Zealand dollars per season to each participating country.

Gregor Paul - a nice wee world-wide exclusive

That sum converts to between £5 million and £7 million per year. The problem as I see it is, the current Guinness 6Nations TV deal is believed to be worth around £50 million per year to the six countries – over £8 million per year per nation.

What is not clear is: is the proposed World League deal new money, on top of the existing 6 Nations and its southern hemisphere equivalent – or is it instead of? If it's an add-on, the various rugby unions will probably grab it; if it's instead-of, not so sure.

A further elephant in the room is the notion that the two new countries involved, to bring the current four-nations southern hemisphere tournament, involving, the All Blacks, the Springboks, the Wallabies and the Pumas, will be the Japanese Cherry Blossoms and the American Eagles. This signifies, American broadcasters might be involved, but, it side-lines the Pacific Island nations, of whom Fiji, ranked 9, would be out, but Argentina – 10, Japan – 11, USA – 13 and Italy – 14 would be in. Also, on a good day, with all their European-based professionals available, Tonga and Samoa would fancy their chances against some of the lesser teams in the 12.

When the World League was first mooted, there was talk of a second division, to include those nations just missing-out, with promotion and relegation to come as the league developed. It has gone a bit quiet about this.

Agustin Pichot, the Argentinian vice-president of World Rugby has broken ranks already, voicing his support for the Pacific Island nations and saying, if they are not involved, he cannot support the plan.

Further opposition has come form the Players Unions, with world Player of the Year Johnny Sexton, England captain Owen Farrell and All Blacks captain Kieran Reid all coming out against the new project, on the grounds of possible player burn-out.

And that's before the leading rich clubs in England and France stick their oars in. We are certainly living in interesting times, both in domestic club and international rugby.

I bet the “old farts,” who reluctantly decided they could no longer hold the dam against the demands of the leading players for payment, and opened the door to open rugby back in 1995, never saw this one coming.