[url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/dec/02/coventry-rugby-club-liquidationCoventry Rugby Club put into liquidation[/url

It has been a bleak season for clubs in the Championship with three clubs facing financial difficulties, Coventry following in the footsteps of London Welsh and Birmingham and Solihull.

This just gets better. Even Andrew himself, the grand poo bar of boredom thinks that Yawnion has got too dull.

[urlhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/6711125/Rob-Andrew-warns-IRB-that-breakdown-laws-are-killing-rugby-as-a-spectacle.html[/url

Indeed:
[urlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8391643.stm[/url
[urlhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby_union/article6941612.ece[/url

Rugby union clubs aren't as dependent on crowds as say rugby league. Just look at the recent internationals. Many people attend union games for range of reasons, none of them, being events on the pitch.

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8394083.stmTicket prices announced for 2011 Rugby Union World Cup[/url

[iTickets for the final of the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand will cost between NZ$390 (£170) and NZ$1250 (£545).
Tickets for many group matches will be much cheaper, starting from NZ$15 for children and NZ$30 (£13) for adults.
Tournament chief Martin Snedden admitted prices for major games were "expensive by New Zealand standards".[/i

Got to admire the IRB. Ticket prices announced 2 years before the tournament and tickets to go on sale a year and a half before the cup starts. The RFL and RLIF could learn a thing or two.


[iThere will be 25,000 tickets for the final available to the general public, who will have to enter a draw to try and secure a place at the 60,000-capacity venue.
The other 35,000 seats for the final go to the IRB for its corporate hospitality and travel packages, with the same deal also applying to both semi-finals.[/i

Not as impressive

Andrew is probably the most oveerrated sportsman I have ever seen. 71 tests & 2 tries (IIRC), one which he literllay fell on a ball dropped over the line. He had nothing to go with his kicking apart from a public school & Cambridge education. His current noises are just an attempt to deflect attention from his continued lack of ability.

Sedgley Park 80-3 Manchester

And apparently it was a blinding penalty.

good day at the office

Manchester 3-50 Cambridge

pfft, Cambridge!

So what is the deal with Manchester?

They lost their coach at the end of October and he was replaced by Elaine Vassie.
Looks to me they are a division or two above their level.
Say what you like but at least there's a rugby union club in Manchester. Whatever happened to the Manchester RL club? Wasn't that long ago they were advertising for players.


One of the messages on the Manchester RU message board:

=#0000FF[iI wish all those involved with rugby union would applaud manchester 1st team and the club for the guts, courage and determination they show week after week on and off the field. It is so annoying when you hear from other rfu club sites and the feed back that each club put in their match report. about the heavy defeats Manchester get. Come on fellow folks give them some words of praise and encouragement, Yes they are getting beaten each game, but these lads go out to play the sport they love and enjoy and what will make you admire their spirit even more these lads DONT GET PAID TO PLAY , like the rest of the teams they play. Manchester play for the love of the game not for cash. so come on folks give the club and players your full support .. [/i

French rugby's top-flight teams will be forced to implement a salary cap for the start of the 2010/11 season. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8420139.stm Australia's Quade Cooper will undergo an extensive personal development and counselling course following a string of off-field incidents. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8420155.stm Stade Francais scrum-half Julien Dupuy has been banned for 24 weeks after being found guilty of eye gouging. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_u ... 421489.stm

French rugby's top-flight teams will be forced to implement a salary cap for the start of the 2010/11 season. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8420139.stm Australia's Quade Cooper will undergo an extensive personal development and counselling course following a string of off-field incidents. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/8420155.stm Stade Francais scrum-half Julien Dupuy has been banned for 24 weeks after being found guilty of eye gouging. news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_u ... 421489.stm

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 421956.stm Er......better not day what I'm thinking I'll get banned.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_u ... 421956.stm Er......better not day what I'm thinking I'll get banned.

Good on him. Can't have been an easy thing to do.

Well done to the lad for finally coming out. Shame he had to wait so long to do it.

Message to homophobes and schoolboy comedians.

Please leave this topic to the grown-ups.

In that case do us a favour, say it & go away.

No.

Good on the fella for coming out of the closet. But I have no doubt some will have a go at him for revealing his sexuality.

Manchester 14 vs 41 Sedgley Park
Manchester 0 vs 148 Esher
Nuneaton 95 vs 0 Manchester
Manchester 12 vs 145 Blaydon
Wharfedale 124 vs 5 Manchester
Manchester 3 vs 93 Otley
Manchester 3 vs 93 Cinderford
Redruth 91 vs 5 Manchester
Manchester 0 vs 93 London Scottish
Stourbridge 95 vs 5 Manchester
Manchester 0 vs 59 Newbury
Tynedale 93 vs 0 Manchester
Blackheath 82 vs 0 Manchester
Sedgley Park 80 vs 3 Manchester
Manchester 3 vs 50 Cambridge

not even the snow can save them

Launceston 66 vs 0 Manchester


-------------- Plyd Won Dw Lost - PF -- PA -- BP - Pnts
Manchester 15 -- 0 -- 0 -- 15 -- 39 - 1407 - 0 - -2

More bile from a Union hack

[url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/rugby/article14612801.ece;jsessionid=527556BF6201587DE55144992F49CD2E?postingType=posting&mode=thanks&postingId=14613292Peter Bills - Bile[/url

All that's bad with Union is league's fault............

Yes Peter. And before Edwards, Ford et al? Why was Union crap prior to them coming along?

Bog brained Murphy..........

getting slightly better - they were averaging over 100 points per game against them upto a few weeks ago.

Let me get this right. Rugby Union was a fast-flowing game, known for open play, fast movement of the ball and lots of tries prior to the arrival of rugby league coaches? What a pile of b*****ks!
The reality is that the fitness and speed that come with overt professionalism have cruelly exposed the flaws in RU as a spectacle. We realised the problems and dealt with them. They can't do the same as to do so would be to admit the problems inherent in the form of their game and their rules. I've made a conscious effort to give RU a chance recently. I've sat and watched internationals and premiership games. The sad fact is it just doesn't cut the mustard when compared to RL.

Love the "Edwards turned his back and left union for the League money"

He only played it as a school boy ffs.

That is one hell of a chip on the shoulder article.

And of course he only "returned" to yawnion because it was his one true love.