The Championship -Bill Sweeney's 'fishing pond' turns out to be more of a mighty ocean...

Look into my eyes

Can't you see they're open wide?

Would I lie to you baby?

Would I lie to you? Oh, yeah

Don't you know it's true

Girl, there's no one else but you?

Would I lie to you baby, yeah?

Would I Lie To You? - Charles and Eddie

Back in November of last year, Bill Sweeney, Chief Executive of the RFU, seemed to suggest he was all for building bridges with the Championship:

'I want to end the myth that we're anti-Championship or the second tier...I can understand why the myth's developed but the endless funding into the previous model was not the answer." (https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/63276725)

Six months on and Sweeney, or Billy No-mates as he's unaffectionately known in some quarters, has done little to dispel this belief amongst those of us whose interests lie outside of the top tier of English Rugby. Eight weeks after confirming that Wasps would play in the Championship next season, we've yet to hear anything definite about where they might be playing and by all accounts there are three draft fixture lists currently in existence based on 12, 13 or 14 clubs in the league.

How are on earth are clubs meant to prepare for three different scenarios? We're already half way through April and for some clubs, if not most, pre-season starts in June. If you don't know the structure or even the make-up of the league at this stage, how can you possibly recruit effectively?

That the RFU has allowed the whole scenario regarding the Championship to drift so aimlessly in this way beggars belief and the current state of affairs has to legitimately call into question whether the game's governing body is really fit for purpose.

I'm just a season ticket holder and in no way privy to any of the discussions that have been doubtless (???) on-going over the past weeks and months between the RFU and clubs in the Championship. It might well be that Bill Sweeney, or BS as I'll refer to him from hereon in, would argue that clubs are involved in the decision-making process and are well aware of what next season will look like.

But it's supporters who, through advanced sales of season tickets, put much needed monies into the coffers of clubs to enable them to, amongst other things, recruit for the coming season. If supporters don't know what's happening and have little faith in those who should, then why on earth would they dig deep into pockets that are all but empty anyway? We're being asked to pay for a product we don't actually have the specifications for - it's akin to paying for an A Class and probably ending up with a Corsa (and just for the record, I drive a Corsa before anyone has a pop at me).

And that can only be to the detriment of the clubs that find themselves being played by the RFU like pawns in a game of chess, the result of which decides their long term futures. The Wasps affair is shameful and will be forever a stain on the reputation, what's left of it that is, of the RFU. I genuinely feel gutted for Wasps' fans who are likely to be seen as outcasts for however long Wasps remain in the Championship, even though none of this is of their making. Coventry Rugby has done its bit by welcoming them to the BPA since Wasps folded, but once they return home, wherever that may be, attitudes will harden for sure.

However, it's not the RFU's treatment of Wasps post its decision to go into administration that is my main gripe. No, it's the governing body's consistent undermining of the Championship in respect of all that it does to grow the game both at a local and national level.

In particular, it's BS' reluctance to acknowledge that the Championship over the last decade or so has played a significant part in the development and recruitment of players into the Premiership and beyond. This was one of the five guiding principles which were set out back in 2015 by which the success of the Championship was to be judged when looking at future funding.

(Just as an aside, the first of those principles was to ensure that the Championship was financially sustainable. I'm not sure any Championship side is yet at break even point, but in this season alone two clubs in the Premiership have had to go into administration and there are fairly strong rumours of at least two more on the brink - a case of glass houses and throwing stones if ever there was one).

Recently, I came across a copy of a list of players, coaches and officials all of whom have in the last 10 years played in the Premiership (see below) having first gained essential experience in the Championship. In other words, players whom BS was making reference to in his diktat of 2015.

If proof was needed, and it really shouldn't be, of the important role the Championship plays in the development of game at a national level, then surely this is it?

And it's a comprehensive list, too -160 plus players since 2011 in all, as well as 28 players capped for England in recent years who played Championship Rugby prior to their first England appearance.

BS' argument back in 2020, which clearly hasn't changed since then, ignored these players for the most part and centered around the fact that Premiership Academies accounted for 93% of England U20 players - which is just about as spurious a defence as you could mount. Premiership Academies are the first port of call for selection at this age range and it implies that these U20s make up 93% of those receiving full England caps, which of course just isn't the case.

Further, Premiership Academy players tend to get loaned out to National One sides because the Championship is too great a step up, so to argue that the 'Championship is no longer a fishing ground for talent' is simply not true.

No, as the names on this list bear testament to, it is a veritable ocean.

And the other consideration in all this, one that I haven't heard mentioned elsewhere (but which is probably the most damning of all as it shows a complete lack of care and integrity on the part of the RFU), is that it's all very well expecting the Championship/Academies to provide talented players who have the potential to play in the Premiership, but what happens to those whom the RFU welcomes into the promised land, only to find they don't have what it takes?

Are these players then discarded once they are found wanting, required to either play their rugby in the less competitive A league games or minor cup competitions or worse still, forced to give up the game completely. Or does the RFU provide them with the opportunity to play the game in the Championship at a highly competitive level whilst also passing on their knowledge and skills to the next generation of young talent coming through?

How exciting is it for youngsters at Coventry to play alongside Will Chudley, Adam Peters,, Jordon Poole and the like - it can only enhance their development, surely? The RFU should be doing all it can to fund such initiatives rather than clawing as much money as it can back, as it has done in recent years.

At no point in any of these discussions have I seen the RFU make mention of what provisions it has made for the players it has fast tracked but who haven't reached the required levels. There appears to be no duty of care towards these players, despite the fact that the RFU has a responsibility to them - and there are many in this situation; good players who still have much to offer the game but in whom the Premiership has no longer any interest. The RFU should ensure the Championship is a place for them as much as it is for those whose careers are very much on an upwards trajectory. If the RFU is prepared simply to keep such players in the Premiership, by implication there's less room available for talented youngsters to come through. And thus the RFU shoots itself in the foot time and time again.

It's incumbent on everyone involved in the Championship, and that includes not just the chairman of the individual clubs, but also coaches, players, admin. staff and yes, even the supporters, to champion the role the second tier of English rugby plays in nurturing the development of players and coaches - the very same players and coaches whom the RFU is so reluctant to acknowledge as having any real part to play in the future of the game at the highest level. It is nothing more than a smokescreen on the part of the RFU to try and get as much as it can out of the Championship for as little investment as possible.

It is a sham and it is time they were called to task.

To everyone outside of the RFU, BS and his peers are indeed anti-Championship.

It's no myth and the truth is very plain to see.

Unless, of course, you turn a blind eye...

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Below, then, is the list of players who have played in the Championship before going on to represent clubs in the Premiership. I did not compile it so I can take no credit for it, likewise nor can I confirm its accuracy - although as a Coventry Rugby supporter, the names on the list certainly tie in with those I would expect to see.

Coventry only returned to the Championship back in 2018, but there are players on there who played for Coventry in National One - a further illustration of how the pyramid system feeds into the top tier from the bottom up.

And it's not just players, the Championship is a breeding ground for coaches and referees, too. Head Coach Alex Rae moved from Bedford to Wasps in 2012/13 and Ed Robinson moved from Jersey to England/Wasps in 2020 (I didn't realise that #Embarrassed!) and in the same year Louis Deacon left Coventry to oversee England Women. The more time you take to look at the names, the more connections you find.

I'm don't understand the politics behind all this if I'm honest and how the Championship has been allowed to become so undervalued - I'm sure the clubs themselves have done all they can to promote the work they do in providing opportunities for players who, for whatever reasons, have chosen a different pathway into the game other than through the Academies at Premiership clubs.

And speaking of Academies, Coventry Academy has already seen it's first youngster (at least the first I'm aware of, apologies if this is not the case) represent England at U19 level - are the Championship Academies going to be deemed less important than their Premiership equivalents and is Ollie Stone's achievement any less than a player from, say, Leicester?

The notion is ridiculous, of course it is, as is the RFU's dismissive attitude towards the Championship and those who spend so much time in the Boardrooms and on the training grounds giving of their time in order to promote the game.

So here is the list; it only goes up to the end of the 21/22 season. I think Cov will probably be adding at least another 2 or 3 names come the end of the 22/23 season, if not more.

And so it goes on...

It really is time the Championship receive the recognition and respect it deserves rom those who owe it most...

2011/12 Tristan Roberts – Doncaster Knights to Bristol Ed Jackson – Doncaster Knights to Wasps Lewis Thiede – Doncaster Knights to Wasps Steve McColl – Doncaster Knights to Gloucester Errie Classens – London Welsh to Worcester Warriors *George Kruis – Bedford Blues to Saracens Myles Dorrian – Bedford Blues to Exeter Chiefs *Jackson Wray – Bedford Blues to Saracens *Will Fraser – Bedford Blues to Saracens Will Chudley – Bedford Blues to Newcastle Falcons Duncan Taylor – Bedford Blues to Saracens *Tommy Bell – Yorkshire Carnegie to Wasps Paul Hill – Yorkshire Carnegie to Northampton Saints *Kyle Sinckler – Richmond to Harlequins Cesar Sempere – Nottingham to Northampton Saints

2012/13 Rob Cook – Cornish Pirates to Gloucester Drew Locke – Cornish Pirates to Gloucester Blair Cowan – Cornish Pirates to Worcester Warriors Sam Betty – Cornish Pirates to Worcester Warriors and England 7s Sean Tomes – Bedford Blues to Newcastle Falcons John Fisher – Bedford Blues to London Irish *Nick Auterac – London Scottish to Saracens Alex Rae – Bedford Blues to Wasps Robin Copeland – Rotherham Titans to Cardiff Blues Shane Monahan – Rotherham Titans to Gloucester Charlie Hayter – Nottingham to Worcester Warriors Sione Kalamafoni – Nottingham to Gloucester

2013/14 Juan Pablo Socino – Rotherham Titans to Newcastle Falcons Eamonn Sheridan – Rotherham Titans to London Irish Fergus Mulchrone – Rotherham Titans to London Irish Gareth Denman – Rotherham Titans to Northampton Saints Daniel Baines – Rotherham Titans to Sale Sharks Ali Price – Bedford Blues to Glasgow Warriors *Luke Baldwin – Bedford Blues to Bristol Neil Cochrane – Bedford Blues to Wasps James Stephenson – Bedford Blues to Worcester Warriors Ricky Reeves – Bedford Blues to Wasps Josh Bassett – Bedford Blues to Wasps Charlie Hayter – Moseley to Wasps Tim Streather – Nottingham to Saracens Matt Parr – Nottingham to London Irish Rhys Crane – Nottingham to London Welsh Jonny Harris – Nottingham to London Irish *Alex Lewington – Nottingham to London Irish Nic Rouse – Nottingham to London Irish Andy Forsyth – Nottingham to Sale Sharks Guy Thompson – Jersey Reds to Wasps Richard Barrington – Jersey Reds to Saracens Charlie Walker-Blair – Jersey Reds to Sale Sharks Dominic Barrow – Yorkshire Carnegie to Newcastle Falcons Joe Ford – Yorkshire Carnegie to Sale Sharks Phil Godman – London Scottish to Newcastle Falcons Paul Andrew – Cornish Pirates to Worcester Warriors Jonny Bentley – Cornish Pirates to Gloucester *Kyle Sinckler – Ealing Trailfinders to Harlequins

2014/15 Aaron Morris – Bedford Blues to Saracens *Nick Auterac – Bedford Blues to Bath Darren Fearn – Bedford Blues to Sale Sharks Mark Atkinson – Bedford Blues to Gloucester Tommy Bell – Jersey Reds to Leicester Tigers Sean McCarthy – Jersey Reds to Leinster Elvis Taione – Jersey Reds to Exeter Chiefs Ryan Hodson – Jersey Reds to Western Force Steve McColl – Yorkshire Carnegie to Gloucester Jacob Rowan – Yorkshire Carnegie to Gloucester Calum Green – Yorkshire Carnegie to Newcastle Falcons Alex Lozowski – Yorkshire Carnegie to Wasps Tomas Francis – London Scottish to Exeter Chiefs Charlie Mulchrone – Rotherham Titans to Worcester Warriors Ryan Bower – Nottingham to Worcester Warriors 2015/16 James Phillips – London Scottish to Bristol Jamie Stevenson – London Scottish to Wasps Shaun Malton – Nottingham to Exeter Chiefs Harry Williams – Jersey Reds to Exeter Chiefs Mat Protheroe – Hartpury to Gloucester Ben Harris – Yorkshire Carnegie to Newcastle Falcons Darren Barry – Cornish Pirates to Worcester Warriors Jamal Ford Robinson – Cornish Pirates to Bristol Tom Kessell – Cornish Pirates to Northampton Saints

2016/17 Nick Fenton-Wells – Bedford Blues to Bristol Harry Wells – Bedford Blues to Leicester Tigers Mark Flanagan – Bedford Blues to Saracens Charlie Clare – Bedford Blues to Northampton Saints Jack Walker – Yorkshire Carnegie to Bath Fred Burdon – Yorkshire Carnegie to Newcastle Falcons Paul Grant – Nottingham to Bath Dan Mugford – Nottingham to Sale Sharks Conor Carey – Nottingham to Connacht Paul Grant – Nottingham to Bath Will Hurrell – Doncaster Knights to Bristol Sam Lockwood – Jersey Reds to Newcastle Falcons Marc Thomas – Jersey Reds to Cardiff Blues *Will Rowlands – Jersey Reds to Wasps Harrison Orr – Ealing Trailfinders to Newcastle Falcons Evan Olmstead – London Scottish to Newcastle Falcons Marcus Garratt – Cornish Pirates to Wasps

2017/18 Antonio ‘TJ’ Harris – Nottingham to Wasps *Tom Griffiths – Bedford Blues to Saracens *George Perkins – Bedford Blues to Saracens Lewis Boyce – Yorkshire Carnegie to Harlequins Joe Ford – Yorkshire Carnegie to Leicester Tigers Jonah Holmes – Yorkshire Carnegie to Leicester Tigers Ryan Burrows – Yorkshire Carnegie to Newcastle Falcons Sam Stuart – Richmond to Newcastle Falcons WillGriff John – Doncaster Knights to Sale Sharks Simon Kerrod – Jersey Reds to Worcester Warriors James Freeman – Jersey Reds to Exeter Chiefs Gary Graham – Jersey Reds to Newcastle Falcons Pierce Phillips – Jersey Reds to Worcester Warriors Nick Haining – Jersey Reds to Bristol Simon Kerrod – Jersey Reds to Worcester Warriors *Callum Sheedy – Jersey Reds to Bristol Bears Andrew Duratalo – Ealing Trailfinders to Worcester Warriors Seb Negri – Hartpury to Benneton Treviso Jake Polledri – Hartpury to Gloucester

2018/19 Tom Lindsay – Bedford Blues to Bristol Bears Michael Le Bourgeois – Bedford Blues to Wasps *Rory Hutchinson – Bedford Blues to Northampton Saints Tom Farrell – Bedford Blues to Connaught Alex Davies – Yorkshire Carnegie to Bath Piers O’Conor – Ealing Trailfinders to Bristol Bears Lewis Thiede – Ealing Trailfinders to Bristol Luke Daniels – Ealing Trailfinders to Bristol Will Davis – Ealing Trailfinders to Northampton Saints Jimmy Stevens – Nottingham to Leicester Tigers Tiff Eden – Nottingham to Bristol Vili Hakalo – Nottingham to Saracens Ben Morris – Nottingham to Wasps Michael Heaney – Doncaster Knights to Worcester Warriors Kieran Hardy – Jersey Reds to Scarlets Tom Pincus – Jersey Reds to Bristol Jake Armstrong – Jersey Reds to Bristol Jake Woolmore – Jersey Reds to Bristol James Voss – Jersey Reds to Leicester Tigers Scott Van Breda – Jersey Reds to Worcester Warriors Matt Rogerson – Jersey Reds to London Irish Joe Atkinson – London Scottish to Wasps Ross Neal – London Scottish to Wasps Isaac Miller – London Scottish to Worcester Warriors Rhodri Davies – Rotherham Titans to Dragons Rugby Jack Kenningham – Richmond to Harlequins *Jack Willis – Coventry to Wasps *Tom Howe – Coventry to Wasps Kai Owen - Coventry to Worcester

2019/20 Charlie Clare – Bedford Blues to Leicester Tigers Simon Linsell – Hartpury to Gloucester Christian Judge – Cornish Pirates to Saracens Toby Freeman – Cornish Pirates to Harlequins Alex Day – Cornish Pirates to Saracens Brett Herron – Jersey Reds to Harlequins Charlie Maddison – Jersey Reds to Newcastle Falcons Marc Thomas – Doncaster Knights to Harlequins Jordan Coghlan – Nottingham to Leicester Tigers David Williams – Nottingham to Leicester Tigers Rory Burke – Nottingham to Connacht Tim Cardall – Nottingham to Wasps Mike Daniels – Nottingham to Newcastle Falcons Will Goodrick-Clarke – Richmond to London Irish Louis Lynagh – Richmond to Harlequins Biyi Alo – Coventry to Wasps Henry Purdy – Coventry to Bristol Bears Andy Forsyth – Coventry to Leicester Tigers James Stokes – Coventry to London Irish Stan South - Coventry to Exeter Chiefs Karl Garside – Ampthill to Northampton Saints Ollie Fox – Yorkshire Carnegie to Bath Ben Carlisle – Yorkshire Carnegie to Sale Sharks Joe Carpenter – Yorkshire Carnegie to Sale Sharks Sam Wolstenholme – Yorkshire Carnegie to Wasps Theo Vukasinovic – London Scottish to Wasps Richard Palframan – London Scottish to Worcester Warriors

2020/21 Kyle Moyle – Cornish Pirates to Gloucester Matas Jurevicius – London Scottish to Harlequins Harry Sloan – Ealing Trailfinders to Saracens Jordy Reid – Ealing Trailfinders to Gloucester Jordan Els – Ealing Trailfinders to Harlequins Craig Trenier – Ealing Trailfinders to Harlequins Matt Cornish – Ealing Trailfinders to London Irish *Ollie Chessum – Nottingham to Leicester Tigers Luke Wallace – Coventry to Leicester Tigers Nic Dolly – Coventry to Leicester Tigers Rory Jennings - Coventry to London Irish *James Harper - Coventry to Sale Sharks *Kieran Wilkinson - Coventry to Sale Sharks *Will Butt - Coventry to Bath *Tom Doughty - Coventry to Bath Robbie Smith – Bedford Blues to Newcastle Falcons Will Hooley – Bedford Blues to Saracens Pete Lucock – Doncaster Knights to Newcastle Falcons Tom James – Doncaster Knights to Northampton Saints Oisin Heffernan – Nottingham to Northampton Saints Will Homer – Jersey Reds to Scarlets Kyle Hatherell – Jersey Reds to Worcester Warriors Alec Clarey – Jersey Reds to Saracens Leeroy Atalifo – Jersey Reds to Edinburgh

2021/22 Robin Hislop – Doncaster Knights to Wasps Will Britton – Doncaster Knights to Gloucester Dan Frost – Cornish Pirates to Wasps Jay Tyack – Cornish Pirates to Worcester Warriors Dan Richardson – Jersey Reds to Leicester Tigers Ciaran Parker – Jersey Reds to London Irish Seb Nagle-Taylor – Hartpury to Gloucester Jack Johnson – Hartpury to Worcester Warriors Elliott Millar-Mills – Ealing Trailfinders to Wasps Johannes Jonker – Ealing Trailfinders to Bath Joe Jones – Coventry to Sale Sharks

Previous Years: Soane Tonga’uiha – Bedford to Northampton (2006) Dan Cole – Bedford to Leicester (2008) Courtney Lawes – Bedford to Northampton (2007) Leigh Hinton – Bedford to Dragons Rugby (2005) Luke Fielden – Bedford to Newcastle Falcons (2009) Karl Dickson – Bedford to Harlequins (2009) James Cannon – Bedford to Northampton Saints (2009) Mouritz Botha – Bedford to Saracens (2009) Billy Twelvetrees – Bedford to Leicester Tigers (2009) Matt Garvey – Ealing to London Irish (2009) Nick Adams – Nottingham to Wasps (2003) Charlie Davies – Nottingham to Stade Francais (2009) Petrus du Plessis – Nottingham to Saracens (2010) Joe Duffey – Nottingham to Leicester Tigers (2009) Tim Taylor – Nottingham to Gloucester (2010) Dan Ward-Smith – Plymouth Albion to Bristol (2005)

PLAYERS’ APPEARANCES BEFORE BEING CAPPED ENGLAND Jonny May, Matt Kvesic, Harry Williams, Sam Simmonds, Alex Lozowski, Ellis Genge, Mark Wilson, Tom Johnson, Tom Youngs, Luke Cowan Dickie, Alec Hepburn, Paul Hill, Henry Slade, Mako Vunipola, Harry Randall, Jack Nowell, Freddie Steward, Curtis Langdon, Kyle Sinckler, Nic Dolly, Mark Atkinson, Ollie Chessum, Owen Farrell, Lewis Ludlam, Joe Marchant, Will Stuart, George Ford, George Furbank.

SCOTLAND & WALES Ryan Wilson, Blair Cowan, Rory Hutchinson, Nick Haining, Ali Price, Gary Graham, Duncan Taylor, Darryl Marfo, Greig Tonks, Mike Cusack, George Horne, Steven Lawrie, George Turner, Chris Harris, Stuart McInally, Ben White, Jonah Holmes, Cory Hill, Tomas Francis, Will Harries, Will Rowlands, Callum Sheedy.

COACHES

2011/12 Nick Walshe – Bedford Blues to England U20s Justin Bishop – Doncaster Knights to London Irish

2012/13 Glenn Delaney – Nottingham to London Irish Jamie Bain – Bedford Blues to Gloucester

2013/14 Simon Amor – London Scottish to England 7s Ian Vass – Bedford Blues to Saracens Lyn Jones – London Welsh to Dragons

2014/15 Steve Borthwick – Bristol to England James Buckland – London Scottish to London Irish Paddy Hogben – Bedford Blues to Saracens

2015/16 Lee Blackett – Rotherham Titans to Wasps Mike Friday – London Scottish to USA 7s Danny Wilson – Bristol to Cardiff Blues

2016/17 Martin Haag – Nottingham to England U20s Dwayne Peel – Bristol to Ulster 2017/18 Matt Everard – Nottingham to Wasps

2018/19 Ian Costello – Nottingham to Wasps Boris Stankovich - Coventry to Leicester Tigers Luke Narraway - Coventry to Dragons

2019/20 Alex Codling – Ealing Trailfinders to Harlequins Jake Sharp – Bedford Blues to Wasps / Northampton Saints

2020/21 Neil Fowkes – Nottingham to Wasps Ed Robinson – Jersey Reds to England / Wasps Louis Deacon – Coventry to England Women

Previous Years:

Paul Turner – Bedford Blues to Saracens (1999) Kingsley Jones – Doncaster Knights to Sale Sharks (2004) Ali Hepher – Bedford Blues to Northampton (2006) Clive Griffiths – Doncaster Knights to Worcester Warriors (2007)

REFEREES WHO TOOK CHARGE OF A CHAMP MATCH BEFORE REFEREEING A TEST MATCH Greg Garner (17 matches), Luke Pearce (43 matches), Matthew Carley (51 matches), Ian Tempest (62 matches), Craig Maxwell-Keys (28 matches), Anthony Woodthorpe (12 matches), Karl Dickson (16 matches), Christophe Ridley (25 matches), Thomas Foley (35 matches).

REFEREES WHO TOOK CHARGE OF A CHAMP MATCH BEFORE REFEREEING IN THE PREMIERSHIP Adam Leal (11 matches), Jack Makepeace (17 matches), Matthew O’Grady (44 matches), Andrew Jackson (53 matches), Greg Macdonald (77 matches), Steve Lee (85 matches), Llyr Apgeraint Roberts (54 matches), Sara Cox (2 matches)

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Charles and Eddy - who else?