Same stuff that's been said about the Premier League (soccer) ever since it started. And soccer clubs have gone bust. And some Union clubs probably will in the future, but, thanks to the profile, there's money sloshing about these sports, they're attractive to sponsors, etc. and so one way or another the sports do just fine - either a 'bust' club gets bailed out or it makes room for another one.

We've got the whole thing a***-about-face. We're obsessed with protecting individual clubs who frankly should be the responsibility of their owners. If you can't afford it don't spend it. As a sport we can still protect clubs with less money from getting swamped in competition terms by using very tight squad limits - Mr. Megarich only damages the sport if we let him stuff *the bench and extended squad* with overpaid players who ought to be out there in others' first teams.

By allowing the central body to get mixed up in controlling individual club finances, we diminish the profile of the sport *as a whole*, which ultimately leads to a smaller pot of money swilling around the sport (fewer good sponsors, etc) which in turn eventually hurts the very clubs we were trying to protect. The cap, for all its damage, hasn't even protected clubs from going bust.

Rugby Unions Premiership clubs are collectively losing between £20M and £30M per season and have been for at least the last 5 years. Saracens alone have had one year losses totalling £7M while The owner of Sale RU is on record stating that he has poured over £20M of his own money into the club and cannot continue to fund it at that level on such poor crowds. Bath and Gloucester, two of RUs flagship heartland clubs are also surviving on the back of a wealthy owner and are also losing over £1M a season.

So what's their answer?
Increase the salary cap!

They are once again walking in the footsteps of Rugby League who long ago learned the bitter lesson of chasing the dream by throwing lots of money down a bottomless pit.

You've every right to prefer RL that way. It's just that we can't really have it both ways. If we want significant profile and media interest, we need cash, simple as.

So what do you think will happen? One day RU will 'go bust' and the sport collapse? No. Some rich people will lose money, then some more rich people will come along and probably lose theirs too. All the while, RU fans get to watch the top 'talent' (yep, beats me, but hey, they seem to like it) in their sport.

Or maybe it won't happen as you predict and some clubs will ultimately pay the price for overspending.

In fact it's already happened in the case of Richmond who rode the wave of euphoria under the newly professional RU competition but when success didn't follow their owner pulled his money and the club ceased to exist.
It sounds very much like Kennedy is on the verge of doing the same at Sale

It will only take a Bath, Leicester or Wasps club to go bankrupt and the sport will have to curb their spending like every other UK sport other than Soccer.

Nrl's salary cap is going up every year, that is a far greater threat to the quality of SL than any union increase.

This. Union will always pinch one or two of ours every now and again but the NRL increase means a continued strangle on the quality of import and the atraction of the big $$'s to our few top stars.

They are reasonably paid, but my feeling is that our players that join the NRL mainly do so to play at the top level.

You could take the case of Burgess, who I'd suppose is now on a helluva lot more than when he was first tempted to join, yet is leaving the NRL for an even bigger profile RU posting.

You may take the view that he's just a mercenary and money talks, but personally I think that's not the main driver. Making it in RU (eg Jason Robinson) gives you a genuine world stage profile and the chance to play in some extremely high profile international games.

Agree with this.

I get the impression that his motivation is celebrity status, high profile stardom, whatever you wish to call it. The money is the secondary consideration even though it will inevitably flow thusly, should the primary motivations be satisfied/attained.

He's going to require some elocution lessons and a posher accent to succeed in the celebrity stakes in Union though. A whole lot better than his cringeworthy monotone performance on Premier Sports which goes something like this.....

[i"Watch the NRL on Premier Thporths... your home of the gratethst gaimmm"[/i

Good luck to Sam, NOW can we PLEASE return to discussing Rugby League?....Thanks!

On your point about lack of international game; I noticed that when there are any Aussies on Super League Superstars, they often state their career highlights are playing State of Origin and representing Australia against Great Britain.

GB disappeared and I think the best part of international rugby league disappeared.

richmond were the first pro union club in britain and were bust within 3 years......in the following 15 years wasps, sale and a few others have had their owners grumble loudly about expense, yet they are all still there, throwing cash after more cash into black holes......god knows why.
If Nigel wray were to let wasps fold, I can assure you the game wouldn't 'fold" as per your prediction......Union is inherently wealthy from the ground up, with most clubs owning their own grounds or having long term deals that suit them. The international game is a mammoth and even compares favourably with wendyball when it comes to attendances.....sponsor flock to be associated with it and next year they will shift a fair few white shirts with roses on them.....just because you WANT them to fold doesn't mean they will. They have a TV deal that is managed well, a European comp that is popular and even the piddly little unions like scotland managed to turn over more than the RFL....wanting them to fail is fine, but predicting based on your hatred of the game is a pointless.

It's a great move for burgess, to a bigger, and better game.

Where did I suggest that "the game would fold"?
Your whole hissy fit is predicated on a false premise, ie that I want Rugby Union to fold. What a silly assumption that is, it's based on nothing more than some phantom "hatred" of mine which certainly isn't evident in my post nor any other I've made.

I certainly hope you feel better after that rant because otherwise it served absolutely no purpose whatsoever!

Edited for greater accuracy

I'll rephrase then.......wasps, bath and leicester could all go bust and the aviva premiership would still carry on as it does now. Their game is built on foundations that a few clubs going tits up would not shake. Take wigan and leeds from SL and we'd be buggered in the uk.....

Aru have just cut all the academy funding to super 15 clubs, they are broke lol.

Do the ARL fund NRL academies

Yeh playing in winter in a run down stadium in a small town in front of 11,000 is going to be so much better than playing in front of Hollywood a listers & 50'000 fans at ANZ in one of the worlds best cities!

He'll make more tackles and runs in the playoffs this year than the entire season next! At least he will be able to stand around getting paid loads until he is 40 in union.

He may just be proving he is the sporting equal of SBW. And could change codes depending on which World cup is up next.

Also agreeing with the marketing on offer from RWC2015. Billboards & adverts everywhere in Bradford. Still 1 year to go. Quick look on the website shows that the initial ticket application closes in 2weeks or so. So that explains the advertising rush.

Souths averaging 50,000 now?
He will be seen by.more tv viewer's in englands opening.rwc game.than.will see him in.an.entire nrl season.........hes fone to.a.bigger game

Souths averaging 50,000 now?
He will be seen by.more tv viewer's in englands opening.rwc game.than.will see him in.an.entire nrl season.........hes fone to.a.bigger game

Don't follow union closely but did read a bit about the upping of their SC when it first made the papers. A couple of their journos reckon there's perhaps three premiership clubs capable of spending to the new level. So, if that's true I think you're right: I doubt any clubs will go bust as a result as it sounds like most won't be shelling out.

They fund the warl $1.1mill a year, whoch helps with the SG ball pirates costs and pay for 5 development officers in WA. So yes they do here. In wa
the aru have just cut the forces academy funding due to lack of resources lol. That lions tour obviously Not the cash cow they were hoping.

I'm sure the one off experience of all those people watching on TV will be outstanding for him, then he can go back to the drudgery of weekly union club football at a hovel in a little town.