It was easy for a small number of clubs – as few as three on major issues – to block reforms. Alliances of convenience became common. Very few owners were experienced in sports business. They tended to be successful entrepreneurs. Intuitively they distrusted regulation and believed the market forces that served them so well would work. Many were genuine fans with love of the club or town, whilst nearly all of them were busy elsewhere. Some were only interested in winning, which is fine if structures are in place to limit what individual clubs can do. They weren’t.
There were casualties – Orrell, London Scottish and Richmond fell away quickly. Later, Leeds and London Welsh. There were successful new entrants such as Exeter, but over the last 25 years the areas lost far outweigh the new markets.
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Rugby World.
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This story is from the August 2023 edition of Rugby World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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