By The Professor
May 10 2002

So the end of the season is almost here, from Quins’ point of view the fat lady started singing after the final whistle of the Sale versus Leeds game. The result (35-20) meant that Quins were statistically safe & could not end up bottom - whatever Mick Cleary may be still saying in the Telegraph! The game, which was a tough one to win for Sale – Leeds were leading 12-13 at half time – meant Leeds earned no points for their evening’s work and meant that Harlequins were seven points clear of the Yorkshire team and safe from finishing bottom of the table and relegation.

Quins had made their position in the Zurich Premiership all but safe last Friday (3rd May) by earning five points in a fabulous night’s entertainment at The Stoop where they scored five tries (Moore, Wood (2), Greenwood, Greenstock) in their 40-16 defeat of Leeds.

However, the immense feeling of relief felt by Quins’ players, staff and fans at their team’s survival in the Premiership was rather muted after reports that Rotherham were going to be denied entry to the top division, and therefore no team would be relegated. This has lead conspiracy theorists to preach that it is an anti-northern bias or that Quins were bribing the RFU - even though we couldn’t be relegated. So it looks like the head men of English rugby have gagged the fat lady before she started singing at what was due to be a nervous weekend for the supporters of the three teams in relegation peril (Leeds, Bath & Saracens).

This is a great blow for the players and supporters of Rotherham RFC and they are understandably irate, but is it a blessing in disguise for their club? Leicester generally make the biggest profit in the ZP (Quins are likely to break even this season) but most clubs make a loss, so if Rotherham were promoted they would undoubtedly make a loss in the order of millions of pounds next season which may have put the club into serious financial trouble. So might the ruling blocking them from the Zurich Premiership, which also awarded them a payment of £750,000, be the best thing for the long term future of the club?

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