Brad Davis was asked this week whether the side that finished 11th in the Premiership would be accompanied by an asterisk to denote that, but for Saracens being automatically relegated after breaching the salary cap regulations, they would have been demoted to the Championship.
London Irish’s assistant coach was speaking before Wednesday evening’s match against Leicester at Welford Road, a contest between two teams who could finish 11th, along with Worcester. He argued the stigma of being saved by Saracens had no relevance because the season was split into two parts that were, in one sense at least, distinct.
“You could argue that you could have an asterisk saying this club finished 11th because of Covid,” he said. “There has to be an understanding that regardless of where we finish in the table, there are some clubs who are stronger post-lockdown and there are others who are arguably weaker. We have lost players while Bristol, who have signed Semi Radradra, Kyle Sinckler and Ben Earl, are a different beast. An asterisk will mean nothing if you finish 11th.”
Bristol are finding that new signings take time to bed in, as a late victory over weakened Saracens was followed this week by a late defeat to a depleted Exeter, again at an empty Ashton Gate. The final would very likely have involved the Chiefs and Sarries, so does the club that finishes fourth merit an asterisk to denote it only made the play-offs for the same reason the side in 11th avoided the drop?
The scramble to finish the season delivers an undignified end to the campaign. It is not only that squads have changed but with a number of midweek rounds, teams have to pick their matches when they are at full strength, although it could be argued that some have to rely on their reserves during the autumn internationals and the Six Nations, and there are no spectators, making grounds echo chambers.
The schedule is driven by the need for money. Exeter aside, all of the clubs were losing money before the lockdown and have been forced to make significant cuts. No crowds mean there is still a shortfall and although it is anticipated turnstiles will start clicking again from October, grounds will initially be some way below capacity and attendances will be subject to constant review.
Edinburgh’s match against Glasgow at Murrayfield on Friday evening will be watched by 700 spectators, little more than 1% of capacity, who will be socially distanced. The Scottish government is using the match as a trial before deciding whether to partially open stadiums from 14 September.
Watching Premiership matches this month has been an eerie experience: temperature checks, forms to fill out, masks worn outdoors and a strict route from the entrance to your seat. Contact is discouraged and you are asked to travel to the ground by car on your own, with public transport and car sharing not recommended.
Will it be the same for supporters when they are allowed back in? Aside from the (distanced) queues that will build up, and the necessary bureaucracy, a sporting event is a social occasion but Covid is an anti-social virus. The sanitised method of turning up, watching the match and go home will test even the most dedicated of fans.
With governments throughout Europe worrying about a spike in cases as summer fades out, the distancing regulation is unlikely to change soon. The financial pressure on clubs and unions will not ease in a hurry, something that makes the debate over a global calendar all the more timely.
World Rugby’s working group which is looking into whether the seasons in the two hemispheres can be aligned is due to resume discussions in September with players and clubs involved as well as unions, although any change will not happen before 2022. This week marks the 25th anniversary of the sport going open and a common calendar may have been long in force had England and France then taken the opportunity to centrally contract their leading players.
Given the sums they lavish on clubs for the release of players for their national sides, they have the means to fund central contracts; it is the will they are lacking, reluctant to stir up clubs. Yet has there been a better time than now? Top players are used to being rewarded with substantial pay rises for signing new contracts, but it will take some time for clubs to make good the losses they have incurred this year.
Would central contracts be so bad if, under the global calendar plans, tournaments were played in a block and they did not lose players for weeks on end for international matches? All the more so because if that happened, the Rugby Football Union would not need to pay £22m a year for the release of players as it would be guaranteed under regulation nine.
A global calendar would mean summer rugby in Europe, but the season already stretches until the end of June, far removed from the amateur days when a campaign started on 1 September and ended on 30 April, and the Top 14 in France always starts in August.
At the start of lockdown, there were calls for all parts of the game that this was the best opportunity for rugby to make sense of itself since professionalism started. No one can afford to squander it at a time of such uncertainty.
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