Premiership a Lions breeding ground
Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:39
The 2008/09 Guinness Premiership season will have an extra 'sting' in its tail with the tournament set to be the launching pad for many aspiring players hoping to secure a spot in the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa next year.
The new Premiership season, which begins next Saturday (September 6), is looking to surpass last season, which by general consensus was regarded as the best ever.
However, the added spice to one of the world's most entertaining domestic competitions is the fact that it will culminate in the selection of a Lions squad for the 10-match tour of the Republic.
At the launch of the 2008/09 Premiership season it was again confirmed that the fixtures had been adjusted to accommodate the Lions selectors.
The new season will see five rounds of matches in the first four weeks as a result of the end of the Premiership season being brought forward to allow the Lions to travel to South Africa with a full complement of English-based players.
"Moving the end of the season forward was a real problem for the clubs," Premier Rugby Chief Executive Mark McCafferty said.
"But we worked closely with the Lions to resolve it and we can now look forward to a great culmination to our season."
Apart from those with Lions aspirations, there is also the matter of winning the title and after London Wasps' inexorable rise up the table last year, culminating in their Guinness Premiership Final triumph, many are wondering dramas will come from this season.
A group of young English players played major roles in some of the most memorable matches of last season, with many going on to represent England.
These players were often the focus for attacking rugby, most memorably at the Recreation Ground for Bath's match against Gloucester in early January, in another Bath match against London Wasps in mid-February and in a sell-out Final between Leicester Tigers and London Wasps in front of 81,600 at Twickenham in May.
With another host of young English players likely to come to the fore, some of the best foreign players at the peak of their careers and a strong spine of experienced Premiership campaigners, the Premiership 2008/09 has all the right ingredients to be another cracking season.
As the new season starts, another set of talented English youngsters will be looking to make their Premiership debuts, with members of England's Under-20 squad - which reached the Final of the International Rugby Board (IRB) Junior World Championship - starting to make their way in the professional game.
Players like Nathan Catt, Mark Odejobi and IRB Young Player of the Year nominee Joe Simpson, will hope to join teammates like Miles Benjamin, Noah Cato, Hugo Ellis and Jordan Turner-Hall in the Premiership.
McCafferty felt the tournament will scale new heights this season.
"Twelve months ago I said it should be the best Premiership season ever and I think that was the case," McCafferty said.
"Standing here I am confident that we can surpass that and enjoy an even better season this time round.
"It is a big season for us off the pitch as well, as we bring on new sponsors and look to develop to the next level our media and sponsorship partners.
"Like most people, I now just can't wait for the season to start and pick up where we left off in May".
