Relegation: Look at the big picture

By Jason Harris
December 13 2002

Whatever your personal thoughts on Nigel Wray and whether or not you like what his thoughts are on the subject in hand, I think he's got balls the size of Jupiter to come out and say what he has said when it comes to not wanting relegation from the Zurich Premiership.

I'm absloutely certain that other ZP club owners believe in the same thing, only they're not as forthcoming as Wray when it comes to airing their views.

The issue is not about Nigel Wray, it's not about Saracens. It's not even about relegation. It's about keeping rugby afloat as a professional sport.

Let's say that there is relegation and (for argument's sake) Saracens go down. Nigel Wray (or anyone else for that matter) will not be able to run the club on gates of 1,500 to 2,000.

Result? Players will have to move on as the wage bill will be too high and the spiral spins ever downwards. Sarries don't come back up, Wray throws in the towel - along with the other investors (and there are several at Sarries nowadays) - and another professional club goes to the wall.

Sarries are replaced by, say, Rotherham. Fine, until the next season when another side goes. (As they're bottom of the pile now and for no other reason) Let's say then that Newcastle go the same way as Sarries and are replaced by Worcester. Fine again, you may think. But professional rugby in the north east could become extinct - remember, the Falcons have a nice new stadium that needs paying for, difficult to do on a National 1 gate don't you think? - and they're destined to spend the rest of their life in North East 3 or oblivion.

Great if you're Cecil "conspiracy theory" Duckworth, but not so good if you live in Byker and the nearest pro rugby is in Edinburgh.

What then? Perhaps Orrell would have enough financial clout courtesy of Dave Whelan to become a ZP side. They come up at the expense of another side. Let's say it'll be Bath.

Will Mr Brownsword (or whoever else may be in charge come 2005) be in the position to finance a club full of higly-paid players going up against the likes of Otley, London Welsh and Wakefield?

No disrespect to those fine clubs, but they don't really have the pulling power of a Bath v Leicester or Gloucester match now, do they? And would Bath, under the RFU imposed "minimum criteria", be able to return to the top flight with a ground like the Rec were they to win National 1? Highly unlikely, methinks.

What people are not doing after our Nige's latest rant is looking at the bigger picture. People are drawing conclusions that Nigel Wray is a selfish club ownwer, in it only for his own personal gain and that of his club.

It's far from the case. Why would anyone shell out a seven-figure sum of money on something like a rugby team? Surely he could have more fun going offshore powerboat racing, probably one of the quickest ways outside space travel and Formula 1 to burn £50 notes?

Why, then, has Wray personally pumped money into developing Saracens in a new area and instigated the first - and biggest - shools liaison programme in the country? Why was he talkng about this very subject two seasons ago when Sarries were nowhwere near the bottom of the table?

Wray is looking to secure a future not only for his team, but for the professional game as a whole. He has stated categorically that he is not against the likes of Worcester and Rotherham joining the Zurich Premiership party if they are able to dance to the RFU's tune, but he is dead against a relegation place that could ultimately ruin not only the team in that unfortunate position, but over a few short years, ruin the sport as a professional entity.

Those of you who know me also know my ultra-modernist views and I believe that Nigel Wray's argument for not relegating the side in twelfth place this year is very sound.

Some people have argued about tradition, the removal of the unpredictability and that the Powergen Cup will be the "only thing to look forward to". They too have valid points.

But we who don't have the wherewithall to finance a multi-million pound business MUST take heed of this warning from Nigel Wray. The game could disappear completely if the investment of individuals like Wray, Tom Walkinshaw, Keith Barwell et al and corporations (such as NEC's involvement with Harlequins) dries up.

Rugby doesn't have the billions that Premiership Soccer has. Rugby clubs operate on a budget not dissimilar to a third division football side. And what little money rugby DOES have, comes from generous benefactors who want to see the GAME progress and become bigger and stronger, not just the teams with whom they are associated.

The RFU does contribute, of course, but ultimately it is the individuals at the clubs that have brought on rugby union as a professional game in this country, not the union.

Tradition is all well and good, but since 1996, it counts for diddly squat if you have nothing in the bank. What cannot happen is another situation like the one where Richmond and London Scottish went to the wall.

And if it means no relegation this year - or any other year - I'm all for it.