Quote: wrencat1873 "What on earth has happened to the "sport".
The whole IMG idea, while potentially improving facilities, is ripping the soul from the game.
Success should never be about numbers of plastic seats or tweets, it should be about what happens on the field (results).
As for Cas, their ground improvements ain't gonna happen by the end of next season, which , under the new points system, could give them a huge problem.'"
It isn't about the number of plastic seats.
The criteria is about raising the opportunity for more income to strengthen the game.
Right now most teams rely on a benefactor who could pull out at any time and Sky money which is reducing fast.
Teams will go to the wall quickly without other revenue streams.
All the criteria is focused towards achieving that as far as I can see.
We know ourselves, even when we had a team to compete at the top in 79/80 we were getting crowds as low as 2k.
The stadium wasn't appropriate. There was no facilities to advertise, the press would come already thinking it will be difficult to make it sound good.
Teams weren't moving forward and certainly wouldn't have installed a fancy digital advertising board around the field, but the revenue generated from that 'can' be massive, selling by the minute rather than for the season.
Clearly league position and quality of rugby should be first objective, but if you don't do the others it will just fall apart.