No rugby action, but plenty going on to make Plymouth Albion great again

Chris Bentley with the latest news from the Brickfields

It is interesting to note how sports journalists, commentators and pundits are spending their time when no sport is being played.

Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention, or so I am told.  Recounting famous games of the past, selecting ‘All Star’ teams and delving into the archives for material of the slightest interest, appears to have worked well in filling their columns thus far, but there is a limit!

I have been spending time with Max Venables putting meat to the bones of our vision to 'Make Albion Great Again.'

The outstanding £32,046 success of the Albion 2020 Heroes initiative was a good start. And followed up with the quality appointment of Damian Welch as Albion’s new coach, it added further to the momentum building at Brickfields.

This good news was bolstered even more this week with the announcement that England tighthead prop, Harry Williams, is remaining in post as our specialist scrum coach. We are leaving no stone unturned in the appointment of a backline coach, and hope to make an announcement on that front in the not too distant.

I have also been keeping my ear to the ground and monitoring macro developments in the world of rugby both in the UK and around the globe.  Agendas of varying and contrasting intentions are being tabled in rugby committee rooms in high places. The RFU, currently enjoy a firm grip on the premier products of England Internationals, with the jewel in the crown being the Six Nations. 

The arrival of CVC on the scene with a reported investment of £600 million thus far might just be shaping to present a challenge to the previous status quo. Only time will tell.

Having won the election for a second term as World Rugby chairman, Bill Beaumont has promised to deliver “progressive, meaningful and sustainable change” after holding off the challenge of Argentina’s Agustin Pichot. With the mighty CVC private capital investment group apparently all over rugby at the moment, Bill may well have his hands full to keep a firm grip on the tiller.

CVC are perhaps not Chairman Bill's only challenges. Pichot, defeated by 28 votes to 23 in the recent election, accused Rugby Africa president Khaled Babbou of costing him the World Rugby chairmanship.

Interviewed on Argentinian TV last week, Pichot inferred ‘dirty tricks’ swayed the South African Rugby President to betray him and change his vote in favour of Beaumont resulting from  ‘illicit promises’ made by his opponents camp. Pichot told TNT Sports: “That betrayal occurred in the last days.” Trouble brewing on rugby’s international stage then.

Returning to the shape of elite-level English club rugby, we remain clear on the immediate way forward for us here in Plymouth.

Our plan of ‘Making Albion Great Again’ centres on getting the team back to the Championship tier as soon as possible and creating a team that competes at the top end of that table and returns the regular bumper Brickfields attendances the club enjoyed not too long ago.

Rather than follow the crowd and throw money towards achieving this goal, and arguably losing something along the way, we will achieve it by adopting a more sustainable blueprint.

It’s very clear to see that rugby union is at a crossroads. Those at the pinnacle of the game are looking for the greatest return on investment possible (at the cost of pretty much all else). Meanwhile, those beneath that tier are in a very difficult situation whereby there is no central pay packet to be coveted, but certainly, overheads to honour.

Barring a multi-million investment, we believe that the Premiership is something of a bridge too far and not something to be coveted in the immediate future. However, to be at the top tier of the game beneath the Premiership is certainly sustainable.

Without the astronomic costs on players’ salaries, we firmly believe this is where Plymouth Albion need to be playing. At this level, we can be a vessel for local players to pit themselves against very, very good opponents and become a beacon of sporting success for the city.

Our playing section have been magnificent over the last few years, battling away when the club has been surrounded in uncertainty, and we plan to insulate them, and our new recruits. We will support them in all aspects around playing rugby; top quality coaching, private health cover, career support, relevant training/ qualifications and a decent (though not unsustainable remuneration) package.

By creating a ‘player positive’ environment we will attract players who are looking for something more than a pay cheque, and by supporting their endeavours off the field, we’ll look to keep them at the club and cut down on the merry go round currently dominating the top few levels of the game.

Career Plymouth players will become more the norm as the support off the field will help to engender a true culture of loyalty that rugby prides itself upon.

This ambition won’t be realised alone though, and once again I stress that our door is open and our phones are on.

If you feel you can be a part of something bigger at Brickfields, don’t hesitate to let us know. We are open to all avenues as we start to lay solid foundations for the premier rugby team of the Ocean City.

We have the opportunity amidst the uncertainly shrouding our game to do something very special at the Brickfields, we hope that you’ll join us as we plot the course.