RPPSTER GROUP 606V2 2"Saddle LTHR Work Belt

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Scott van Breda, who spent the last season on the Channel Islands on loan from Worcester, joins the club for a second time on a permanent basis, as does Guy Thompson, who last represented the club in 2013.

And so on and so forth. There is still fun to be had in playing abbreviated or different forms of the game but the post-Covid pips are increasingly squeaking for any club looking to operate at a decent semi-pro level. One recent survey suggested a fall from 259,600 active adult players in England in 2016 to only 95,100 at the end of last season. Covid and funding cuts have also left Championship sides touching the void. This month, after much deliberation, the Championship Review group will make recommendations to the RFU management board on what it believes the future should look like and its findings will be fascinating. The BBC will provide rugby fans with live match coverage, comprehensive highlights and the best analysis and discussion from legends of the game throughout the tournament. Live commentary of all of Wales’ matches during the Six Nations will be on both BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru, as well as live coverage of Wales’ games against Ireland, Scotland and England on BBC One Wales. It is so difficult to even guess what kind of a challenge this London Scottish team will pose when they make their long-awaited return to competitive action. With it likely to take a few weeks to get up to speed, a poor start to the season may be their undoing by the season’s end.The popular Rugby Union Daily podcast will return from Monday 30 January, with daily editions running every match-week. With Ugo Monye, Danny Care, Sonja McLaughlin and more at the helm, fans can expect big name interviews, alongside the latest Rugby news and analysis. The opening game between Wales and Ireland will be live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday 4 February. Other live games on BBC television include Scotland v Wales (11 February) and the mammoth clash between Wales and England (25 February). Coverage begins on the BBC as Wales face Ireland in the opening game of the tournament, with Gabby Logan presenting live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Steve Boden and his side would have been disappointed to have not reached the play-off finals after a strong start last season, but they have recruited heavily from other Championship sides this summer.

Winning two games last season, Hartpury will be hoping to build on a number of promising performances in the first half of 2021. James Williams was a leading light for the side at both fly-half and inside-centre, and will have plenty of new team-mates supporting him at the Alpas Arena. Conor Maguire (Gloucester), Tommy Matthews and Xavier Hastings (Bath) arrive from the top flight, Harry Short is promoted from the club’s academy and seven players have arrived on season-long loans from nearby Gloucester. In a slight adjustment to last season, there will be no play-offs to determine promotion. Instead, the top-placed side at the season’s conclusion will move directly to the Premiership and no team will drop down. As the music builds, these speakers have the composure and organisation to keep things under control. They rarely sound flustered or stressed no matter how demanding things get.

Live commentary from Chris Jones and Sara Orchard of every match on BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 5 Live or 5 Sports Extra On BBC One Wales, Gabby Logan and Gareth Thomas return with the fifth series of Six Nations Sin Bin, aimed to enthuse, excite and build up the hype ahead of each Six Nations weekend. Throughout the tournament, the BBC Sports News team will provide match reports, while covering the latest stories and developments. Reports will feed into BBC One News, BBC Breakfast and the BBC News Channel. As always, the Blues will be looking to play the most exciting rugby in the division, meaning that any trip to the market town is well worth it if you’re keen to see an enthralling display of rugby. The BBC will air live coverage of at least one game every round on TV and BBC iPlayer, while BBC Sounds, BBC Radio 5 Live or 5 Sports Extra will provide live commentary of every tie.

BBC Sport Northern Ireland will have live commentary of all of Ireland’s games in the Six Nations on BBC Sounds. Gavin Andrews will introduce the coverage via BBC Radio Ulster starting with the first round of matches on Saturday 4 February as Ireland take on Wales at the Principality Stadium. Jim Neilly will be on commentary alongside ex-Ireland fly-half Tony Ward with Eddie O’Sullivan, Claire McLaughlin, David Humphreys and Chris Henry providing analysis over the course of this year’s Championship. BBC Scotland Uncertainty, as a result, is rippling across the shires. If the RFU also foresees a gridiron-style future for rugby it should say so without delay and explain why that is good news. Because, for those left behind, the repercussions will be huge and, potentially, ruinous. If grassroots rugby union in England is to be salvageable in 2032, never mind 2042, there needs to be something left to save.

In addition, Zac Nearchou and Theo Vukasinovic have been recruited for the season from Wasps, and both Henry Trinder and Tom Hudson join from Gloucester. There is an awful lot at stake for all concerned. The so-called “seamless” game, linking both ends of the English rugby pyramid, has never felt more precarious. The Premiership, currently with no relegation and due to expand to 14 sides next season, is a good competition but money is tighter than ever. No one wants to be demoted to the Championship where such losses will be magnified. But the Championship also has to mean something, both in terms of player development and in its own right. Ultimately it needs to be a league for good players to aspire to and for sponsors to embrace. And which sees ambition rewarded. The challenge for the RFU, as ever, is to square that vexed circle and find a collective vision that works for everyone. With relegation from the Premiership to the second division halted and National League Rugby suspended last season, there will be 11 teams competing in the Championship in the 2021-22 season, meaning that each week one club will not be competing. As well as providing audiences with extensive live coverage, highlights, reaction and news, BBC Sport’s digital services will be home to an array of ways to engage with the upcoming Six Nations.