ვეთანხმები ამხანაგის მოსაზრებას:
ESPNscrum senior editor Graham Jenkins argues that relegation may be the way forward:
The Six Nations is without doubt the most enthralling and engaging rugby competition outside of the World Cup and must be treated with due reverence but not at the expense of the rest of the sport.
The International Rugby Board constantly talks of expanding the game beyond its traditional boundaries and they have been good to their word to a certain extent with Japan set to play host to the 2019 World Cup and a return to the Olympics set to further fuel the global advancement of Sevens.
SANZAR are doing their bit to support efforts to grow the game with the recent introduction of Argentina to The Rugby Championship despite logistical and financial hurdles but the Six Nations committee are clearly not willing to play ball because no one wants to lose their place at Europe's top table where there are rich rewards on offer from sponsors and broadcasters.
But how can a sport to intent on expansion operate such a closed shop in arguably its most important market? It is not like the structure of the game outside the Six Nations is not up to scratch with FIRA - the Fédération Internationale de Rugby Amateur - Association Européenne de Rugby - having been organising international rugby across the continent for the best part of the century. It is worth noting that 14 of the top 30 sides in the IRB rankings are from Europe and let us not forget that current Six Nations sides France and Italy both graduated from FIRA's ranks.
The European Nations Cup incorporates seven divisions that all operate on a promotion/relegation basis and therefore offer a logical development pathway. The pinnacle is Division 1A where Georgia and Romania are currently leading the way in the battle for what is considered the 'Six Nations B' title but that is close as they will get to the real Six Nations.
"It may not make box office sense to the Six Nations but it doesn't make sense full stop to the majority of observers."
Europe's leading Tier 2 sides are starved of top flight competition with the World Cup the only chance they have to gauge themselves against the best the sport has to offer - all this while their geographic neighbours play host to Tier 2 nations from the rest of the world every autumn. It may not make box office sense to the Six Nations but it doesn't make sense full stop to the majority of observers.
There is a major logistical issue to overcome with the European Nations Cup currently contested over a two-year period in contrast to the annual Six Nations contest but surely with a little further investment from the IRB both they and FIRA could engineer a change?
Admittedly, it would be near impossible for a promoted side to compete with their Six Nations rivals such is the gulf in class and that may in turn impact on the popularity of the championship and its ability to engage the wider public.
So why not introduce a play-off game between the bottom-placed side in the Six Nations and the European Nations Cup champions? A two-legged affair would allow for any 'freak' results and while the lower-ranked side would inevitably always lose it would give them priceless exposure to the world's best.
The potential offer of a place in the Six Nations would serve as a significant carrot to those sides determined to better themselves and ensure the championship was seen supporting the wider efforts to develop the sport and its core audience.
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ეს არის ყველაზე სწორი მოსაზრება:
6 ერზე ბოლო ადგილზე გასული გუნდი, შინ-გასვლა ეთამაშოს ერთა თასის მომგებს და დაამტკიცოს თავისი სიძლიერე,
თუ არა და კეთილი ინებოს და დაგვითმოს ადგილი
შედეგად ეს ერთა თასის მოგების კონკურენციას ერთი-ორად გაზრდის
და ასევე მოხდება 6 ერზე. ყველა გუნდი მაქსიმუმს გააკეთებს რათა ბოლოზე არ გავიდეს.
2013 ერთა თასი, = შინ: პორ 9/02, ესპ 9/03
