Does anyone know if Coventry are definitely joining Champs 1 next year? Or is it still to be 100% confirmed.

Coventry Bears are still joining but it's unconfirmed whether it's next year or 2015. As much due to league restructuring as anything IMO

That's a shame, was hoping for a back-up if the Broncos go down the bog. 30 mins from MK central station and looks like a tidy little ground.

Who owns the stadium? Do the Bears have a long rental agreement?

I think the RU club own it or at least they're running it but rental seems secure.

I expect if London fold the RFL will be more likely to accept Coventry Bears next year, same if another struggling club do (I can't and won't name them but it's not one of the three new ones)

Are any other clubs (other than Coventry) at the stage where they're capable of stepping up to C1?

How are Bristol Sonics getting on? And wasn't there a team from Medway/Gillingham area looking to step up?

None are close. The RFL are keen on Medway joining but they never applied. East Midlands would be the other possibility after Coventry bed in. Don't think there's a rush though now the RFL have decided against regionalising Championship 1.

Bristol Sonics have never had Championship 1 ambitions but did want to join the NCL this year and got their bid rejected. They finished the regular season in Conference South 2nd behind Sheffield Hallam Eagles (reserves in all bar name)

Well that only leaves two remaining options, South Wales or gateshead.

The bid will be linked to Coventry University and involve scholarships for some players there.

I'm v. impressed with their merchandise! wearthebear.spreadshirt.co.uk/

I'm v. impressed with their merchandise! wearthebear.spreadshirt.co.uk/

Woo woo. About 5-10mins away!

Bowes hasn't actually said which division the other club's in. It could even be read as another SL club (not stirring it, honest guv).

I'm Harborne-based. The Butts Park Arena is only half an hour away.

We have a home match this weekend versus Woolston if you want to take a look at what we're up to.

may be a dumb question but is the walk from Coventry station to Butts Park ok? Not a dodgy area or anything?

The only part I've seen any trouble is the stairs out from the station but you can easily take the pavement on the road for all of a minute added to the journey and if there's a couple of you the stairs are fine. Then it's past a private school, a park, a street of £400,000 houses and a former college so about the least dodgy you can get.

Thanks, I look forward to breaking my Coventry virginity soon. Hopefully my little boy will protect me through the stairs of danger!

Thanks Bowes.

It will be great to see you Tre Cool and Harborne Saint down at the BPA. If you come down, make sure you come up to the tannoy point where i'll be and say hello.

I tend to sit tannoy area to do help with things like scorers. Had a go on tannoy once but couldn't work the technology.

Quote ="ap1717"Well that only leaves two remaining options, South Wales or gateshead.'" www.rugbynetwork.net/boards/read ... 6,14218106 Hopefully they can turn it round but doesn't look like they have income streams away from what the RFL give them

Quote ="ap1717"Well that only leaves two remaining options, South Wales or gateshead.'" www.rugbynetwork.net/boards/read ... 6,14218106 Hopefully they can turn it round but doesn't look like they have income streams away from what the RFL give them

It seems absolutely bizarre that the weakest clubs in the structure have been the ones expected by the RFL to pay for new clubs to enter the league. With this and the refusal to discuss what is going to happen to the CC1 competitions in 2015, it shows the hypocrisy of those who regularly trumpet their own "successes" in adding teams to the league.

Don't they raise any money of their own through Lotteries and sponsors and gate receipts?

The RFL have been quite stringent with financial criteria for new clubs apart from the abomination that was Northampton Rebels. Given Coventry Bears chance to source funding from a diverse number of areas that weren't there last time they applied IMO and this time the bid is from what I hear much stronger.

The worrying thing about the third tier is the RFL included only twelve clubs in their presentation on it and given they said Toulouse were coming into SL2 and Coventry into the third tier that means they're expecting 3 clubs to fold by then, no idea who the third is unless it was merely an estimate

the bears have a great website logo and love the jersey.. Keep up the good work

I think you are being generous to the RFL in suggesting they have a plan for CC1. At present the league seems to be just an afterthought in the plans (and I am not sure they have had the thought yet).

The RFL did think of plans for the third tier but they were completely unworkable and involved splitting it north and south. They backed down when they realised the clubs weren't there to fill a Championship South and due to opposition from clubs like Hemel

I've got family in Cov and I'm down there fairly regularly, I'll definitely try and get along for a game next season and I've just bought a T-shirt in anticipation!