www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/40649652...er&ns_linkname=wales

Well looks like the details will be next week

Why don't they just do the draw, see who avoids the most difficult away trips, then give them the cup?

Other sources had the 12 + 7 format, but with 2 extra games to ensure a full set of H&A derbies. 21 game season. The likes of Glasgow would play Edinburgh 3 times. Need something official instead of all the rumours/speculation.

Evil_g wrote: The IRFU are incentivised to to ensure that derbies take place in the largest ground, so you can be pretty sure that Connacht will be the ones losing out (surprise surprise).

Munster have been losing way more money than us, so obviously they'll have to get three interpros.

If everyone played their own conference twice, and the other once, then logically each team loses one home and one away interpro. Any other breakdown of home interpros (3-2-2-1 or 3-3-1-1) doesn't wash. And don't forget the source of these rumours is tinfoil hat central*.

*I mean Wales Online, not Evil-g, obviously.

Indeed, and in a scenario where they decide we only get one home game against Zebre, we'd be down 10 games, but it's probably unlikely they will opt for that particular structure
At the end of the day, if two new teams join the league, and they want to avoid adding new fixtures, there has to be at least four other teams that each team only plays once instead of twice. Now, given that the whole object of the exercise is to boost revenue and increase the league's appeal, why would they choose the most popular and financially lucrative fixtures to cut?

The IRFU are incentivised to to ensure that derbies take place in the largest ground, so you can be pretty sure that Connacht will be the ones losing out (surprise surprise).

Munster have been losing way more money than us, so obviously they'll have to get three interpros.

connemara man wrote: Not in a 12 games Vs own conference +7 games Vs the other scenario. Someone will miss out on a home interpro if the Irish provinces are in different conferences which looks likely

The only source for this is [strike]Clickbait Online[/strike] Wales Online AFAIK. I'd say the 19 game scenario put forward by the Breitbart Rugby site is very unlikely as (1) everyone's sold tickets for 11 games and (2) teams would have uneven numbers of home games. Regardless of how clunky this season's format is, it's likely just an interim measure before the arrival of a U.S. team the following season. Four 5-team conferences (Ireland+US; Wales+weaker-SA team; Italy+Scotland+stronger-SA-team) with teams playing everyone in their conference twice, and everyone in the other conferences once, gives Anayi the end game he's said he sees as ideal: everyone plays 18 games, and the 4 extra rest weeks mean all internationals are available for all games and Gatland and Schmidt get told to go jump.

pinky wrote:

Shelflife wrote: There is also the potential logistical nightmare of having to offer an opt out to STH and refunds, we were sold tickets based on the current structure and in particular 3 local derbies, if sat Leinster and Munster are in the opposite conference id imagine that it may not sit well with some who have already bought their tickets.

Interesting times ahead.

There would still 3 derbies. European qualification wouldn't change that. Besides it would be for the following season. They will obviously not be in Europe in the coming season as the draw is already done.

Not in a 12 games Vs own conference +7 games Vs the other scenario. Someone will miss out on a home interpro if the Irish provinces are in different conferences which looks likely

And under that structure there'd be 6 home games Vs our own conference and a max of 4 home games Vs the other conference. That's a game down on last season

Shelflife wrote: There is also the potential logistical nightmare of having to offer an opt out to STH and refunds, we were sold tickets based on the current structure and in particular 3 local derbies, if sat Leinster and Munster are in the opposite conference id imagine that it may not sit well with some who have already bought their tickets.

Interesting times ahead.

There would still 3 derbies. European qualification wouldn't change that. Besides it would be for the following season. They will obviously not be in Europe in the coming season as the draw is already done.

connemara man wrote: And the possibility of losing a home game altogether

What if they offered us some sort out of paper based recording device that could be used for collecting the signatures of players?
I for one, think that could solve all of our problems.

That, or return the free pint at every game

And the possibility of losing a home game altogether

There is also the potential logistical nightmare of having to offer an opt out to STH and refunds, we were sold tickets based on the current structure and in particular 3 local derbies, if sat Leinster and Munster are in the opposite conference id imagine that it may not sit well with some who have already bought their tickets.

Interesting times ahead.

The Times in SA is reporting that European Qualification is being discussed at today's meeting:
www.timeslive.co.za/sport/rugby/2017-07-...finalised-this-week/
That would make getting back into the Champions Cup a whole lot trickier for Connacht ...
Seems like a logistical nightmare to me anyway as the SA teams would have to fully switch over to the NH season.

Mark Mostyn wrote:

pinky wrote: Wales Online reporting that the proposed additional derbies aren't going to happen so it would be just 19 games in the regular season, but they don't give any indication of why they think that. It's been re-reported in various other places to varying levels of hysteria. I can't for the life of me imagine why they would do such a thing so I assume it's nonsense. All will be revealed tomorrow.

I refuse to give them a click but it sounds like baseless speculation to me.

Since (a) it's Wales Online and (b) thousands of season tickets have already been sold by the current 12 teams based on 11 home games, I think we can rule this out as arrant nonsense.

Westie85 wrote: I chanced my arm by visiting the website www.pro14rugby.com and I got re -directed to the Super Rugby website.

Nice. That's not actually the official super rugby website. It's run by this crowd www.sportsdigitalmedia.co.uk/ who registered the pro14rugby domain (along with Pro15) back in April. They didn't bother with Pro16 so maybe they'll have to find two more teams just so they can afford the domain :)

pinky wrote: Wales Online reporting that the proposed additional derbies aren't going to happen so it would be just 19 games in the regular season, but they don't give any indication of why they think that. It's been re-reported in various other places to varying levels of hysteria. I can't for the life of me imagine why they would do such a thing so I assume it's nonsense. All will be revealed tomorrow.

I refuse to give them a click but it sounds like baseless speculation to me.