Rugby - Championship Play-offs, what happens if...?
Discussion
Like many true rugby fans, I am upset about the shambles of the play offs.
Firstly, to declare an interest (but not bias) - I am a season ticket holder at Bristol.
As I understand - two sides have expressed an interest in promotion (Bristol & Exeter), no other side with the possible exception of Nottingham have the facilities or desire for Premiership rugby.
The play-offs are extremely close at the moment and it is possible that neither side will win the final.
What happens about promotion in these circumstances?
1. No promotion (and hence no relegation from the Premiership)?
2. Count back - based on the play-off pools (side with most league points goes up)?
3. Count back - based on Championship table?, so Bristol go up as Champions
4. Play-off between Bris & Exeter to decide?
5. Something else?
I have spoken to several fellow season ticket holders and supporters and nobody knows. Communication - aint it great?
One thing is for certain (and I'll say it before any Premiership fan chips in) the standard of Championship rugby is woefully lower than even that played by the relegation threatened sides and whoever is promoted needs to recruit heavily and train hard in the summer to avoid becoming cannon fodder (last time Bristol were promoted we topped the table for the first three months of the season - I doubt any newly promoted side will ever repeat this)
Firstly, to declare an interest (but not bias) - I am a season ticket holder at Bristol.
As I understand - two sides have expressed an interest in promotion (Bristol & Exeter), no other side with the possible exception of Nottingham have the facilities or desire for Premiership rugby.
The play-offs are extremely close at the moment and it is possible that neither side will win the final.
What happens about promotion in these circumstances?
1. No promotion (and hence no relegation from the Premiership)?
2. Count back - based on the play-off pools (side with most league points goes up)?
3. Count back - based on Championship table?, so Bristol go up as Champions
4. Play-off between Bris & Exeter to decide?
5. Something else?
I have spoken to several fellow season ticket holders and supporters and nobody knows. Communication - aint it great?
One thing is for certain (and I'll say it before any Premiership fan chips in) the standard of Championship rugby is woefully lower than even that played by the relegation threatened sides and whoever is promoted needs to recruit heavily and train hard in the summer to avoid becoming cannon fodder (last time Bristol were promoted we topped the table for the first three months of the season - I doubt any newly promoted side will ever repeat this)
It is just getting more and more farcical by the day, isn't it! 
My preferred result for the season will be to see Plymouth win the play-offs and Moseley get relegated. I know that would be particularly unfair on Moseley and Bristol, but I would just love to watch the people who dreamed up this harebrained f
kwittery trying to explain how having a team which finished the regular season on barely half the points of the leader is a good thing for rugby. Then I'd like to see them explain how relegating a team which scored more than 7 times as many points as the bottom team is a good thing for rugby.
Mind you, the rot all started last year when Birmingham got catapulted over Esher, so effectively went straight from the 4th tier of the game to the 2nd, whilst Esher got shafted. Oh look, there's a surprise... Birmingham failed to win a game all season, and Esher are currently 9 points clear at the top of National 1 with 3 games in hand. Clearly that was a well thought out approach!
My preferred result for the season will be to see Plymouth win the play-offs and Moseley get relegated. I know that would be particularly unfair on Moseley and Bristol, but I would just love to watch the people who dreamed up this harebrained f
kwittery trying to explain how having a team which finished the regular season on barely half the points of the leader is a good thing for rugby. Then I'd like to see them explain how relegating a team which scored more than 7 times as many points as the bottom team is a good thing for rugby.Mind you, the rot all started last year when Birmingham got catapulted over Esher, so effectively went straight from the 4th tier of the game to the 2nd, whilst Esher got shafted. Oh look, there's a surprise... Birmingham failed to win a game all season, and Esher are currently 9 points clear at the top of National 1 with 3 games in hand. Clearly that was a well thought out approach!
I believe that although there are 3 clubs that can now fulfill the criteria only Bristol and Exeter submitted their applications before the deadline.
If neither Bristol or Exeter win the playoffs then no team will be promoted and therefore no team relegated!
[Tin foil hat on]The more "paranoid" supporters could assume that actually the powers that be would be quite happy for this to happen as it could be construed as ring-fencing my another means![/Tin foil hat off]
And to nail my colours to the mast......come on you Bris!
If neither Bristol or Exeter win the playoffs then no team will be promoted and therefore no team relegated!
[Tin foil hat on]The more "paranoid" supporters could assume that actually the powers that be would be quite happy for this to happen as it could be construed as ring-fencing my another means![/Tin foil hat off]
And to nail my colours to the mast......come on you Bris!
Not knowing your getting promoted until so late is an absolute nightmare for recruiting new players. As has been said the gulf between divisions is vast and extensive team strengthening will be required. The chances are you will just be picking off Worcester or Sale players that don't want to play in the Championship.
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