Babbling 'brook

Donny B. wrote:Quality signing for Ulster, but how come you get to shop in Harrods for overseas players while the rest of us are stuck in Lidl?

Is it the strength of sterling?

A redeveloped larger stadium courtesy of the UK taxpayer and no rent or mortgage payments help as well!

LeRouxIsPHat wrote:It shouldn't be, you're basically lying to sponsors by doing that.

The reality is that both leagues with double headers report attendances the same way therefore it is standard practice, irrespective of your opinion.

blockhead wrote:Not standard practice, just a dishonest way of bigging up the league. The total you have at the bottom of your post is 52,762 too high.

Well the AP does exactly the same, so given there are 2 leagues with double headers and both do the same, I'd say that is standard practice.

I think the overall attendances are as follows: Team 14/15 Pro12 Attendances Change from 13/14 Leinster 194,426 -10.0% Ulster 176,410 20.2% Munster 144,973 3.5% Blues 123,877 19.1% Dragons 111,995 24.8% Ospreys 92,278 5.7% Scarlets 78,082 -3.0% Glasgow 70,112 14.7% Connacht 58,873 12.5% Edinburgh 5...

I think the overall attendances are as follows: Team 14/15 Pro12 Attendances Change from 13/14 Leinster 194,426 -10.0% Ulster 176,410 20.2% Munster 144,973 3.5% Blues 123,877 19.1% Dragons 111,995 24.8% Ospreys 92,278 5.7% Scarlets 78,082 -3.0% Glasgow 70,112 14.7% Connacht 58,873 12.5% Edinburgh 53...

Pro12 overall attendances exceed last years total with 3 games still to go. Last years total 1,108,200 This year so far 1,117,253 Ulster attendances are up 20% now that Kingspan development is finished. Ulster averaged about 1,000 more at Kingspan than Leinster got at the RDS although Leinster have...

next theyll try to change the voting structure for decisions in the league Filthy Lucre (trying to make league total free market) Saracens, Bath, Wasps Saracens looks like a tax dodge for some rich Saffas and Bath is a vanity project for Craig. Wasps looks like they want to become a stadium/events ...

try not to laugh but Mark McCall has had a go at Ulster for wage inflation over the Pitau deal :lol: :lol: :lol: He didn't .... The Belfast Telegraph interpreted his statement as having a go at Ulster purely as click bait IMO. McCall was making a statement about Saracens not paying for marquee play...

The arrangement when a player sets up a company for off-the-field activities has been around for a long time. The player's company gets paid for things like image rights and promotional activities and there is a variety of ways this company can be made "tax efficient". Most of the top Iri...

The way Sarries are funded is a crazy mess of companies and at the end of the day they could walk away from the debt at any time with no financial loss which is a very dubious existence, they don't even have assets as the stadium is in a different company from the other debts. There would be an int...

The arrangement when a player sets up a company for off-the-field activities has been around for a long time. The player's company gets paid for things like image rights and promotional activities and there is a variety of ways this company can be made "tax efficient". The revenue are wise...

Allen is a decent squad player but he has established internationals in front of him and a bunch of well regarded younger players coming up behind so it is understandable why he wants to move.

Unfortunately there are engineering works on that weekend so there is a bus replacement service between Barnes and Clapham Junction rather than being able to get the train directly from Twickenham to Clapham Junction.

A QPR stadium at Old Oak Common is still very much blue sky at this stage - QPR don't even own land there but are lobbying for a stadium to be part of a major redevelopment of the area but this will be in the 2020s. QPR don't have a good record of ground sharing given they kicked Wasps out of Loftus...

I live in West London and used to go and watch Wasps when they played at QPR as it was very easy for me to get to. I couldn't be bothered going to Adams Park. I used to watch their games as a neutral, hoping to see a good game without caring too much about who won but I do know a number of long term...

We did point this out to him didn't we. Actually having read some of that I do feel some sympathy for some of the fans but not him. Yup, a common theme in debate about European competition was how the English clubs needed to look after their own interests. What we have seen with Wasps is just a log...

It's a question of civilisation too. You can train it down to Twickers and it's green and spacious. Getting to Barnet involves the tube or hacking through squalid suburbia in a car. Perhaps it's just that I hate most parts of North London, passed Highgate and Islington. Tend to agree. I'd take trai...

As someone who lived in and around London for four decades I know full well what you mean. It's just unfortunate that you are wrong. Twickenham Stoop is further from the City than Barnet Copthall. It may be a closer distance as the crow flies but it isn't quicker by public transport. Starting at th...

It depends what rent is changed for the grounds in Italy. I think some of the municipality owned grounds in France only charge a peppercorn rent for their use. The ground shares in England will be at full commercial prices and I think this may be about 15%-20% of the gate. Additionally with a ground...