New Year’s Day Derbies!
Showing matches that are televised in the UK and Ireland or on popular subscription services. Bold indicates free-to-view. Times are in the UK zone, so adjust as necessary.
Monday 1st January
| Ospreys v Cardiff | 15:00 | BBC Wales / iPlayer / Viaplay Sports 2 |
| Connacht v Munster | 15:00 | TG4 / Viaplay Sports 1 |
| Dragons v Scarlets | 17:15 | S4C / iPlayer / Viaplay Sports 2 |
| Leinster v Ulster | 17:15 | RTÉ2 / Viaplay Sports 2 |
Quite repugnant that lenient sentence, from the little bit I’ve read about it. So he’ll be out in what, 12 months with good behaviour?
Andy Farrell gets the Lions gig for 2025. Probably the easiest Lions tour in years. At least 12 years, to be exact!
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I think that’s fair enough, Farrell was probably the outstanding candidate and I kind of like that some people will be upset that a northerner League-type will be head coach of the Lions.
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Thaum, wrote a lenghty explanation about the money in the T14 for Dab. Seems to be lost. In the blog spam, maybe?
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@Flair – rescued your post from spam. It’s on the previous page,
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Some good news, for viewers of the upcoming Six Nations
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Thanks, Flair & Refit!
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Bah, wasn’t as lenghty as I remembered.
Some more figures: average attendance is around 15000. More than half the clubs operate at more than 90% of their full capacity. Highest average attendance this season: Bordeaux with close to 25k, followed by Toulouse 23k, lowest is Oyonnax with just under 10K. By the end of the season there will have been more than 2.7 million people in the T14 stadia. That’s a lot of money.
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Another figure: A season ticket costs between 180€ (cheapest ticket, cheapest club) and up to 1000€ (for the best seat in Toulouse). Average is around 500€. It usually includes the thirteen T14 games, a couple of friendlies plus the European cup games.
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Good info, Flair thanks. When I played in the early 90s in France, even at the very low level it was apparent that sponsors were keen to associate themselves with rugby clubs. In fact it looked to me like all sports were better supported financially in France than they are here.
My friend from school lived near Pau, he worked for Total and I see their name on the Pau shirts too.
Deebs, this is the guy who did a few years in Angola that we spoke about.
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Ticht, there used to be a gas field (now depleted) 30km west of Pau that gave birth to a whole industry (in Lacq) where before there were very few industrial plants, first Elf and then Total being the main players.
BTW, you’re right, it’s Pau that are sponsored by Total, Toulouse’s main sponsor being obviously Airbus.
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This is an example of my frustration, suppose there was a “London French” team. They would be backed and playing at the top level in England.
London Scottish is one of the oldest clubs in the sport, it has supplied more players to Scotland than any other club, there is huge Scottish diaspora around London and some of them are very wealthy (The Caledonian Club in London is one of those posh private members clubs for ex pats and their business clients).
The SRU desperately needs a third professional team – do we find a way to make it all work?
Nope.
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They were getting close a few years ago, London Scottish were coached by Serge Betsen and others, the SRU were backing them, there looked like some sort of peace breaking out between Ldn Scottish and Richmond, who have a controlling interest in the ground the two clubs share, they were riding high in the RFU Championship and were considering a big push to make it to promotion to the Premiership – and then it all fell apart, again
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Meanwhile in Real Rugby, this weekend sees a top of the table clash in the SRU East Region League Division 2 (Men’s).
Dunbar at home to Penicuik – the table show both teams on 45 points, both played 11, won 9, lost 2. Both have 9 try bonus points. Dunbar have a points difference of 299, whilst the visitors are 154 points to the good.
It’s going to be a belter.
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suppose there was a “London French” team
There was – I played against them…long ago.
Can’t recall though they were obviously “gallic” – more London
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Years (and years) ago ended up working for a short spell near Clermont.
Local motorway chief engineer shared a first name with me and he’d been a decent standard “talonneur” (played for some France A team).
As a result on my weekend off – he took me to a game in Clermont – not quite the Stade Michelin we see today – IIRC it was a playoff / cup game between Brive and can’t remember (not ASF) – but even then it was an electric atmosphere ..fireworks, flares … miles away from the situation in Southgate watching Saracens play in the corner of the local park….
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Probably the easiest Lions tour in years
From what we saw in RWC, yes. However, I’d guess there are good players there that could be welded into an effective team – just need 2 good performances – and some of the lads thrown in at the deep end at the RWC may develop.
Wasn’t a great Oz team in 2013, but could have won 1st test if Lealifano hadn’t slipped trying to take that penalty – and that would have completely changed the shape of the series.
But – as you say – expectations of a series win will be high
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Carbery’s off
Bottom line there is that as Crowley is now Munster #1 (and probably Ireland #1) – Munster are not offering Carbery #1 money to be Crowley’s back up.
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whatever a woman earl is
Countess
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Next Season ticket prices at Exeter range from 270 to 810 pounds dependant on place in stadium.
All such tickets have perks attached.
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New post coming up.
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Here, for you poor souls of Glasgow, is Exeter’s line-up:
Wyatt, Feyi-Waboso, Slade, O’Loughlin, Hammersley
Skinner, Cairns
Hepburn, Yeandle (c), Painter
Tuima, Pearson
Roots, Vermeulen, Fisilau
Replacements: Frost, Abuladze, Iosefa-Scott, Postlethwaite, Vintcent, Townsend, Hawkins, Wimbush
6 from last year’s end-of-season 23
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Well, it’s got the fixtures, anyway.
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