How is decline in crowd numbers good for game?
WHAT has been described by Simon Massie-Taylor as the best season the Premiership has seen, is not shared by the home crowds as the stats show. In what way can this be described as a positive for the game?
Six sides down year on year, including Leicester, Northampton and Exeter. Quins slightly up, with Gloucester and Bristol the only ones with any real growth. Overall not a great picture.
These stats are after two sides are no more, with others possibly following. The salary cap is about to be increased from £5 million to over £6m. The RFU is in commercial meltdown with debts of over £50m. This alongside the huge salaries Bill Sweeney, Massie-Taylor and others are taking out of the game while participation in comprehensive school rugby and community rugby is in freefall.
Northern rugby union is a shadow of what it was with our top rated side in Yorkshire sitting fifth in the Championship. There is a massive disconnect between the Yorkshire Academy (YA), Championship, National 2 clubs. A handful of players from the YA U18s signed professional contracts in the past few weeks, one went to RL Leeds Rhinos, two to Sale Sharks. Yorkshire lads with no pathway to the top in Yorkshire.
The U18 side I coached until a few weeks ago had at one point eight YA players at U17/18, in the end we had one. Most left on their own accord, poor coaching, daft training and playing schedules on top of private school, club and ACE college rugby commitments across the side.
My club side finished the York's Prem U18 Champs and York Cup U18 runners up but missed out on the two best U18 wingers in Yorkshire, the best No.10, the second best lock, and one of the best back rowers. Unless something changes, especially in Yorkshire, the game is going to continue to decline until it becomes a small sport played just in private schools and at the odd club.
