Tier two finalists may have to play until mid-June next year
Talks are currently ongoing about the structure of the 2013/14 season and one proposal is to move the competition’s showpiece occasion to back-to-back Saturdays.
Historically, the Championship final has always been played in midweek to guarantee live coverage. But broadcast partner, Sky Sports, will have much more leeway in their schedule going forward in the wake of the BT Sport deal.
With the season not due to kick off until September 14 – and the structure of the season likely to remain the same – the two finalists face the prospect of playing until June 14, which will mean even less preparation time for the Premiership for the promoted club.
For 2013 Championship-winning coach Dean Richards the season is way too long as it is and not conducive to forward-planning.
“We felt the whole season was unjust because it sets people up to fall rather than actually encouraging them to build things and having a degree of consistency throughout the year,” he said.
“Not one Premiership side is playing past us, let alone the champions; it’s beyond belief why this competition has to finish so late.
“Ask any of the players and they will say that it’s a horrible way to get promoted, and it is, but that’s life and we’ve been there and done it.
“But at the same time I wouldn’t want to go through it again and I feel sorry for any side coming up next year who has to go through that.”
Part-time beaten finalists Bedford, whose resources do not stretch anywhere near as deep as Newcastle‘s, endured a season that ran 333 days from the first day of pre-season training to Wednesday’s climax at Kingston Park.
“I believe the season structure should be looked at, personally I don’t think we should be playing in June,” said Championship Clubs’ chairman and Bedford Blues boss Geoff Irvine, who was quick to praise his players and supporters in the wake of the Blues‘ 49-33 aggregate defeat.
“I can’t tell you how proud I am of the boys for what they achieved.
“When you look at the respective squad sizes and the amount of full-time coaching staff the difference between us and Newcastle is massive.
“I would also like to pay tribute to all the supporters, and there was a good number there, who made it up to Newcastle on a Wednesday evening.”
Irvine warned that running the season well into June could also have a financial impact on clubs as players would have to be on the pay roll for longer.
“At Bedford we’ve only just started to contract players on a 12-month basis from July 1 to the end of June,” he said.
“But I’m pretty sure you’ll find that a few clubs in the Championship, who don’t expect to get into the play-offs, only contract their players up until the end of April.”
Such a late finish is not good from a player welfare point of view, either. Departing Blue Josh Bassett, for example, will be back at work at his new club Wasps just 10 days after Wednesday’s Championship final.
The structure for the 2013/14 Championship season and its new sponsor, exclusively revealed as Greene King in The Rugby Paper a fortnight ago, is expected to be signed off at the next board meeting on June 11.
JON NEWCOMBE
