So there we go, it’s May 7 and seven of the 11 Premiership teams have no competitive rugby now until the Premiership Cup starts in September with that number rising to nine next week after the semi-final play-offs.
What happens next has always been a big issue in the professional era. Four months of wages and bills to pay with no significant footfall, no gates, piffling bar receipts and massively reduced merchandise sales. One or two might be lucky enough to stage the occasional pop concert and make a few bob but mostly they go into hibernation.

Of course, the first team regulars have earn...