Wasps into administration

I get that, but the line of argument would perhaps have been better expressed as 'we don't want to lose these top table clubs from the top table.' The idea of working back up nine levels as some of the above have done isn't something seen as a realistic option. Wasps have already moved to the West Midlands just to 'guarantee' top level rugby, when the right thing to do would have been to find their level like every other club in the country. It's the divine right to the top table, or entitlement, that stinks.

Bristol Bears owner Steve Lansdown says Premiership Rugby (PRL) must do more to increase revenues to help financially-struggling clubs. Wasps gave notice on Wednesday that they intend to appoint administrators. Meanwhile, Worcester have until Monday to prove they can keep going. "What PRL need to do is to really focus on commercial revenue or generating new revenue, and improving the offering that we get out there to attract other investors into the sport," he said. Clubs have more than £500m of debt following the Covid-19 pandemic and owe around £35m between them to His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

Or try living within your means.

Premiership attendance table for last season and this season is very revealing

that is the very essence of the issue. Rugby Union is a minority sport in the UK and other than the jingoism of the international game its television audience is very small. Can the audience and the revenues be grown as Stephen Lansdown is calling for? 

Personally I doubt it, the concussion issue and the complexity of the sport very much mitigates against it.

The future isn't bright or orange 

I was thinking about that very thing yesterday, then I happened to watch a college (American) football game with 60,000 people in attendance. American Football is one of the most complex of sports and has a huge following with big names etc well outside the NFL. I think a bigger issue is, we've got too many sports on a weekend trying to grab everyone's attention and cash. And the vast majority of rugby supporters are probably at their own grassroots club or playing for their local team which all KO at 2/3pm on a Saturday.... Just take Sale Sharks, how many grass roots teams are kicking off at exactly the same time as them with a few hundred people watching/playing at every club in the North West

Growing rugby overall as a sport is what is needed but that is a very difficult task. Playing participation up to the age of 16 seems to be healthy and is seen as beneficial but big Mini numbers don't translate to big adult playing numbers, or even spectator numbers.

IMHO Wasps made a mistake in leaving West London and I have never been convinced by their business model.

Just on another note, I am delighted that my Club does own its own ground and so may have a stronger Balance Sheet than other Clubs but revenue is still hard to come by and 1st XV success still depends on individuals signing up for sponsorship which, given the returns they get, is largely a corporate donation. The biggest return is, of course, tickets to England matches and striking a balance between tickets for sponsors and tickets for members is a major discussion issue.

You may well be right. In the good old days when even football clubs like Manchester United were still small businesses they were supported by local benefactors gate income and sometimes a bank would provide loan capital. Even then banks were wary of lending to football clubs because it was extremely difficult to call in their loans.........they were fearful that the local community would all move their bank accounts to a rival.......and the football stadium had little alternative use value other than flattening and then building housing.

For political reasons the  DCMS will be somewhat concerned at a backlash from voters and they are very unlikely to get anything out of an Administration

totally agree with much of that, although I wonder if you're not a bit off for the national leagues - Mose had 1100 the other week which would mean we had slightly more than 1 in every six people watching at levels 3 and 4, which feels wrong instinctively.