Recent content by Highlander35

Saudi on Tob

Don't ask me, I just like the ATO getting what it's owed more generally so take a passing interest, I've not involved myself in the specifics for yonks since someone I know is involved in the case and I know if I paid active interest I would end up asking them way too many questions about it...

I think they've existed for a long time but only got beefed up in ~2019 to be of actual utility, but we went into COVID and killing businesses wasn't going to be seen to be the done thing. Edit: A quick google suggests various changes between 2012 and 2022 all turning a paper tiger into an...

Not to go too hard on the politics but I mean up until quite recently that's been the point no? Between funding and policy (both spoken and unspoken) the job was to substantially get out of the way of businesses to keep people employed, drive productivity/GDP etc. etc. it's only been in the...

I am shocked that there's not an acceptable solution when tens of millions of dollars are on the line for highly legally educated individuals against a body for which any concession might have significant downstream effects for its current and past operations.

do their day jobs with Panasonic i would assume

I hope there's at least 4/5 world cups at 24 teams before we talk about further expansion.

Wales can't exactly be talking about dropping 2 teams and then say "you'll be blacklisted for selection if you take a new well paid opportunity" they have a different PR game to everyone else.

League still has a hard tier system and calendar year lockout for international eligibility rather than the flat and 3 full years system that Union has for international competition right?

Saudi on top

Interesting. I mapped it out based on rankings as of today presuming that Samoa and Chile make it through one way or another and it creates some substantial swings in pots 3 & 4. Obviously many games left to play which could shuffle things about. Pathway Matters Pot 1 Pot 2 Pot 3 Pot 4...

Is seeding entirely based on WR (World Rugby) rankings, or is the path to qualification considered a factor? Like is Samoa doomed to 4th pot for qualifying through such a poor path (and hence potentially an extra banana peel game) or would they get put in pot 3 if they finish in their likely 13-18th spot.

In more general news, that leaves two slots for six teams right? Samoa and Chile play off for one, the loser joins Namibia, Belgium and the winner of the Paraguay/Brazil playoff Exciting that we're so close to pool draw.

Take the 20k from the bonus test in the June window vs Scotland brings the figure very broadly in line with the other two years you host a 3rd bled. 2012 - 303.6k 2010 - 307.1k 2008 - 304.7k

They have 40+ fully professional teams playing a minimum of 26 games each, and that's if you're playing Nationale 1: Top14 and ProD2 have minimum 30 games each. I'm not the world's biggest fan of the french system, but to call it shameful is just absurdly small minded.