Steve Grainger, RFU director of rugby development, is confident the new five-year partnership between England Rugby and Papa Johns pizza company will ensure there is a strong appetite for the newly structured men’s Cup competition.
Clubs from Regional 1 (level 5) and below will be given the option of competing in a Cup competition, the Papa Johns Community Cup, at the end of the league season, with final league positions determining the competition entered (e.g. Cup, Plate, or Bowl at respective levels).
Papa Johns will also give their name to the existing nationwide women’s Cup competition. Both Cups will culminate in a showpiece finals day at a well-known rugby venue, with Papa Johns and England Rugby both driving awareness and participation, and giving clubs an opportunity to have a chance of playing for valuable silverware. You can have a chance of playing at jokercasino.
This latest announcement comes as part of Papa Johns’ growing sports partnership portfolio which includes Scotland Rugby, Welsh Rugby Union, and Leicester Tigers. Papa Johns also sponsor football’s EFL Trophy. RFU Cup competitions at community level have not had a sponsor since EDF pulled out in 2009.
“It is a really exciting partnership for us, they are a brand with a fairly recent but sound relationship in sport. They have a real commitment and drive to help us with the take up and engagement of clubs in those two Cup competitions,” said Grainger. “Following the competition structure, it was something there was strong appetite from clubs for and having a brand behind it always helps.
“The men’s Cup competition, because it is new, the entry point will be midseason. Around Christmas time is when clubs will declare their hand.
“Initial interest was very high and, hopefully, the start of the season will get away well and the interest will continue to be maintained and we’ll get a good entry level.”
Grainger was speaking at the launch of the new partnership at Trafford MV RFC in Manchester, a part of the UK not as badly affected as others by the long, hot dry spell.
But with over half of the UK in a drought zone, there is real concern that the start of the 2022/23 season will be disrupted by postponed matches.
Otley, for one, had to cancel their final preseason fixture against Leicester Lions yesterday because their Cross Green pitch was “too hard and dangerous to play on”.
This is a situation replicated up and down the country, and one Grainger and the RFU are keeping a watching brief on. “I was on a call earlier this evening where people are comparing notes from different parts of the country, it appears to be east-west rather than north-south,” he said.
“We’ve got it on an absolute watching brief day-by-day at the moment. It depends on how quickly the rain comes, you want it to come slow and steady.
“But there are definitely clubs who are very concerned about their first match; there are some switching on to artificial pitches, others looking at reversing fixtures out, whether they are on AGPS (Artificial Grass Pitches) or whether they are perhaps playing a team where they have had some ability to water.
“It is a very mixed picture across the country.”
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