TWP readmitted to challenge cup

[The Future is League 2,284]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-league/50472532

[Les Tonks Sidestep 1,631]

Not quite new news https://www.totalrl.com/premium-toronto-wolfpack-to-enter-2020-challenge-cup/

 

[Mark S 763]

If they get to Wembley I am sure that they will push SBW as the main focus for any marketing. It could actually fill the ground and make all stakeholders some decent money.

[Dave T 14,861]

Some interesting snippets in there. 

TWP apparently changed their mind about opting out last year but were too late to be admitted.

Catalans will cover any shortfall if they get to the final again.

TWP have agreed special conditions (assume the same as the above). 

So it looks like the 'bond' system has been implemented, maybe just the values tweaked.

[scotchy1 5,100]

Thank god rich overseas owners are protecting us from the absolute embarrassment that is the RFLs running of the challenge cup

[Rupert Prince 974]

46 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Some interesting snippets in there. 

TWP apparently changed their mind about opting out last year but were too late to be admitted.

Catalans will cover any shortfall if they get to the final again.

TWP have agreed special conditions (assume the same as the above). 

So it looks like the 'bond' system has been implemented, maybe just the values tweaked.

All very interesting.  Is anything suggested to be this "shortfall"?    Say, loss of 10,000 tickets at knockdown prices... €200k ??

[Leonard 321]

9 minutes ago, Rupert Prince said:

All very interesting.  Is anything suggested to be this "shortfall"?    Say, loss of 10,000 tickets at knockdown prices... €200k ??

The way final attendances are going - good luck to the RFL in proving what any loss is.

For starters, if I were TWP or Cats, I would tell them to stick any averages based on Club Wembley "sales" in prior years.

[Dave T 14,861]

3 minutes ago, Leonard said:

The way final attendances are going - good luck to the RFL in proving what any loss is.

For starters, if I were TWP or Cats, I would tell them to stick any averages based on Club Wembley "sales" in prior years.

There is clearly a lower benchmark now, which is the 62k for this year for Wire v Saints. 

[Leonard 321]

22 minutes ago, Dave T said:

There is clearly a lower benchmark now, which is the 62k for this year for Wire v Saints. 

So if TWP get a final vs Salford - how would the RFL unpick that?

[Leonard 321]

In fact - how is Rimmer still in a job? His salary is probably 50% plus of the bond value.

Did he ever take a pay cut to reflect the fact Elstone now does a large chunk of his old role?

[Dave T 14,861]

11 minutes ago, Leonard said:

So if TWP get a final vs Salford - how would the RFL unpick that?

They would track club sales.

Give each club 13k to sell and make them pay £20 a ticket.

Edit. Tbh this is just the easiest way to get round any of this bond stuff. Force each finalist to buy 13k tickets at 20 quid each, and then they can retain any profit. The RFL gets 26k sales at half a million quid income.

If TWP or Cats only sell 2k then they may lose out. So may other smaller clubs, but really it is easy to cover costs.

Edited November 19, 2019 by Dave T

[Leonard 321]

3 minutes ago, Dave T said:

They would track club sales.

Give each club 13k to sell and make them pay £20 a ticket.

And then if both sell 5k tickets decide to fine just one party?

[Dave T 14,861]

1 minute ago, Leonard said:

And then if both sell 5k tickets decide to fine just one party?

Well no, they will have paid £260k up front. If they only make £100k back because they only sell 5k then it is the club out of pocket rather than the RFL.

[RugbyLeagueGeek 568]

7 minutes ago, Dave T said:

They would track club sales.

Give each club 13k to sell and make them pay £20 a ticket.

Edit. Tbh this is just the easiest way to get round any of this bond stuff. Force each finalist to buy 13k tickets at 20 quid each, and then they can retain any profit. The RFL gets 26k sales at half a million quid income.

If TWP or Cats only sell 2k then they may lose out. So may other smaller clubs, but really it is easy to cover costs.

Could this be rolled out to every club in the game to some degree? E.g. each community club has to sell 50 tickets? League One and Championship clubs have to each sell a few more etc etc. Just a thought.

[Leonard 321]

10 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Well no, they will have paid £260k up front. If they only make £100k back because they only sell 5k then it is the club out of pocket rather than the RFL.

We'd probably find the cost of the day is more than that and it would simply guarantee the RFL would lose money.

For example, we know 50k attending was loss making.

[Dave T 14,861]

Just now, Leonard said:

We'd probably find the cost of the day is more than that and it would simply guarantee the RFL would lose money.

For example, we know 50k attending was loss making.

Well yes, the RFL would be selling too

[scotchy1 5,100]

11 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Well no, they will have paid £260k up front. If they only make £100k back because they only sell 5k then it is the club out of pocket rather than the RFL.

Why would clubs want to enter such a competition?

[Click 489]

18 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Why would clubs want to enter such a competition?

Have you not heard of the magic of the Challenge Cup?

[Dave T 14,861]

19 minutes ago, scotchy1 said:

Why would clubs want to enter such a competition?

Because you should make far more than that back. If you sold 20k at £35 per head, you make almost half a million quid just in tickets 

Edited November 19, 2019 by Dave T

[DoubleD 4,915]

Toulouse again absent

[scotchy1 5,100]

2 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Because you should make far more than that back. If you sold 20k at £35 per head, you make almost half a million quid just in tickets 

Yeah but most clubs in the challenge cup cant dream of selling that many tickets direct.

I wouldnt be surprised if say wakefield struggled to well 20k never mind a Leigh, and that's before we even contemplate a newcastle.

Then you your west wales, or even your Toulouse, toronto, les Catalans where a quarter of that would be a great achievement

[The Future is League 2,284]

59 minutes ago, Leonard said:

So if TWP get a final vs Salford - how would the RFL unpick that?

If Salford get the challenge cup final who ever they play will be short fall.

How will the RFL circumvent that?

[Eddie 1,648]

27 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Toulouse again absent

Considering they get about 1,500 to home games and would offer little to entice your average floating English fan to Wembley that isn’t a bad thing. 

[whatmichaelsays 697]

It's criminal that the RFL insists on these bonds in the first place.

The RFL can't just keep hoping for a combination of Leeds, Wigan, St Helens, Warrington and Hull FC to sell out the final. It's one of our showpiece events - the RFL still insists that it's a "blue ribboned" event - they should have no difficulty in selling it as long as they are smart and proactive about it.

[The Future is League 2,284]

17 minutes ago, whatmichaelsays said:

It's criminal that the RFL insists on these bonds in the first place.

The RFL can't just keep hoping for a combination of Leeds, Wigan, St Helens, Warrington and Hull FC to sell out the final. It's one of our showpiece events - the RFL still insists that it's a "blue ribboned" event - they should have no difficulty in selling it as long as they are smart and proactive about it.

Smart and proactive are not words i associate with the RFL and I'm 100% serious.

Does the RFL even have a marketing department?