RFU doubles its offer to the Prem 15s
The RFU will raise the amount Allianz Premier 15s clubs are allowed to pay for their players from the recently reduced amount of £60,000 to £120,000. This remarkable change of heart reveals the impact this season’s Prem 15s in making.
Where has this extra money come from? The RFU has been offering regular estimates of its financial losses as Twickenham Stadium remains empty. It took the quite drastic step of removing the contracts of all its Sevens players, man and women. Now an equally unexpected lurch in the opposite direction.
The gesture marks a huge step forward for its women’s branch. What will be the effects?
The hope must be that all ten clubs will benefit equally from this windfall. If each of them can shake the same number of gold sovereigns at a prospective player, will that even up the profoundly uneven split of talent across the league?
The answer must be no. The most prosperous clubs already have the best back-up in staffing and materiel. And the lure of the capital (no fewer than 21 Red Roses of the last two years play for Quins, Sarries and Wasps) is unlikely to be diminished.
Totally Professional?
It’s hard to believe that a significant number of the league’s players would want to turn full-time professional. Many have occupations they would be loath to give up. As with the contracted Red Roses there would be no safety-net for them; there is no alternative structure below the elite level. It would mean back to the job market.
Nearly every young player follows the sensible strategy of completing a tertiary-level course. A rugby career can end abruptly; injuries take their toll, so it’s wise to have a fall-back ready at hand.
National v International
What is the ideal balance of native and overseas players in the league? Ever since the old Premiership started up, Celtic players have been welcomed into the fold. Their number has increased markedly in recent years, helping to reduce the gaps between the six nations. The new enemy, Covid-19, has encouraged more players from the New World to take advantage of real rugby in England while their nations remain inactive.
That again helps to even up standards on a wider scale. Part of Exeter Chiefs’ success is due to the impact of their Canadian and American signings. How much further could this trend go before English players feel hampered by the presence of so many overseas players? We need only look at the men’s football Premier League to see the adverse effects it can have on English-born players.
The overriding need within the British Isles is for the three Celtic unions to work hard at getting their structures for girls’ and women’s rugby in good order, from beginners to elite. All three have faced determined calls from ex-players to take prompt action.
A Paying Product
A broadcasting deal remains tantalisingly just out of reach, but the viewing figures for the Exeter-Saracens game – an estimated total of 125,000 across livestream platforms – indicated a much larger potential following than the RFU can have imagined.
The extra funding coming into the clubs will raise the playing standards even further. Senior players are in no doubt: the game is becoming faster, harder and more skilful. Recent matches prove the point; we have had any number of close results and upsets. The excitement is evident.
