Hibberd: Tier Two sides just playing for pride
Former Championship player Luke Hibberd believes the second tier has lost its magic and feels it’s now no different from any other league.
Hibberd, 26, played for London Scottish and Nottingham but stepped down to National Two West side Hinckley this season to focus on his career in the civil service and to move closer to home.
He said: “I was playing rugby full-time at London Scottish when the Championship cuts came in and Covid hit, so I had to look at the future and get a career. I got my new job and got a call from Nottingham to go there and play the remainder of the season.
“Going back and forth to Nottingham three times a week was tough as I wouldn’t get home until midnight. Hinckley was the best place to go, so I could reduce travel and still continue with my career.” The full-back is enjoying his time at Hinckley, who are fighting for promotion. He said: “We’re having a really good season, we’ve got a great squad and getting some good results.We’re pushing for promotion as we now see the title as a realistic goal.”
Hibberd reveals that numerous former Championship teammates have told him that with certain clubs going part-time and a lack of promotion and relegation, the league is not what it once was.
He added: “The feedback I get is that if you’re not playing in the Premiership it’s like every other league now. The majority of these part-time players have got full-time jobs. It doesn’t feel like as much of a jump to the Championship, when it used to when all the clubs were full-time.
“They are playing at a good level but there’s an element of what are we playing for? You’re not going up, so you almost feel like you’re playing for pride.
“I hope for the progression of English rugby’s sake that they bring back promotion and relegation from the Premiership in as the Championship produces some top quality players who deserve to have a chance at playing in the top flight.”
