I watched the u20 world championship and quite a lot of the other teams players had a fair amount of experience player senior level rugby. Somehow England need to get their u20 players playing more for the premiership 1st teams. Also your list shows the paucity of quality tight head props in the English game. Again Opoku-Fordjour and Sela need game time and get them in the senior training camp Jason Leonard was a similar age when he was first capped.
They can only do that if the rfu enforces their rules of no more than 2 non eqp in the starting 15 every match day, because many teams in the prem field up to 11 non eqp every match day blocking young English talent ever getting a game!
What struck me was how physically developed they were compared to the other team or was it they were relatively ‘rested’ having been less exposed to game time
42 weren’t sacked. More than 42 received warning letters, that their job is at risk, I’ve seen the letter. There’s a process to go through before anyone is made redundant, and no one is being sacked.
There’s too many non English qualified players in the Premiership denying young players valuable playing experience. I’m all for foreign players but restricted to 2 or 3 per club squad. I liked Harlequins, but look at their recent signing all foreign. Not sure I’ll be rooting for Harlequins anymore.
Totally agree, I did a count just before Londoin irish went under and there were 157 foreign qualified players in the premiership... compare that to Super rugby etc. and there are less then 10. Quins have been one of the better ones but on average it's 25% of each squad is foreign but whats worse is many of them are in three specfic positions - inside centre, prop and lock
It’s a mess. Currently in the premiership only two overseas players can play on match day for each team. Sounds good .However this ruling is pointless and made irrelevant because of the European Court of Justice’s Kolpak ruling, which came into being in 2003. As a result of the ruling; South African, Tongan, Fijian and Samoan players were not classified as overseas players in the context of the Premiership’s squad rules. Welsh Scottish and Irish players are also exempt. Certainly many good overseas players contribute to the Premiership and their clubs however the Kolpack ruling makes a mockery of it. I don’t blame the clubs for recruiting overseas players but what is the point of setting limitations on premiership clubs on overseas players if the exemptions on this ruling make the process pointless
Let's just hope they don't go and hand out enhanced contracts to players who are either already on top money (e.g., Itoje) or not someone that needs to be kept in the UK (e.g. Slade, Marler etc.). For me these need to be used for long term players like Baxter, Obano, Cunningham-South, Lawrence, F. Smith, M. Smith, Slightholm, Feyi-Waboso, a few key players (e.g. Furbank) and some weak positions such as tighthead prop or inside centre. Should also be used to get players like Arundell and Willis back to the UK...
The minimum ground requirements for the Prem I never understand. A) the RFU solution is for the club to get in to more debt that they can't afford, and B) a smaller stadium fully packed is infinitely better than a rented football stadium at 20% capacity
There’s two ways this could go. Clubs bring through academy players to fill the holes left by their internationals when the RFU tell them they can’t play. Or, clubs bring in more foreign born talent and rely less on homegrown English players.
I was very disappointed the the RFU didn't reintroduce a revamped EQP system [this time more along the lines of the French jiffe program] Where if you want to play in the premiership then 12-13 of your match day team must be English qualified and by qualified i mean by birth or family or that they have lived here for over seven years That would force to a certain extent clubs to play English talent Rather than going and buying in a S.African or Pacific Islander ect i also want to see a real and proper academy leagues programes [Junior and senior] that includes championship clubs aswell as premiership This would mean our young talent gets to play all year Rather than just the few months they do now Also i feel that more attention should be given to trhe university BUCS matches Promising talent can then be invited to special training sessions with the England age group coaches [U18 / U20 , England B and Senior teams coaches
This is a good step forward but it is an absolute waste of time, because the prem is chock full of overseas players including Scottish Irish and Welsh, until the rfu enforce their rules of no more than 2 non Eqp players in the starting 15 nothing will change because the conveyor belt of players from below is blocked from ever playing in the prem and by extension England! Many teams in the prem play up to 11 non eqp in their squad every WE, so therefore any changes to the system will make absolutely no difference!
One thing that is required for England to improve. As a team they need to learn how to play better but history tells us they have the innate ability of not being able to play above themselves like the Scots, Welsh and the Irish.
The best thing that the RFU has done since professional rugby started, pity that it has taken so long to achieve but I guess we have to thank that Chinaman for eating that bat otherwise we would still be going round in circles.
I watched the u20 world championship and quite a lot of the other teams players had a fair amount of experience player senior level rugby. Somehow England need to get their u20 players playing more for the premiership 1st teams. Also your list shows the paucity of quality tight head props in the English game. Again Opoku-Fordjour and Sela need game time and get them in the senior training camp Jason Leonard was a similar age when he was first capped.
We still managed to win even without that experience, hopefully those players will push on even further after some senior game time
They can only do that if the rfu enforces their rules of no more than 2 non eqp in the starting 15 every match day, because many teams in the prem field up to 11 non eqp every match day blocking young English talent ever getting a game!
What struck me was how physically developed they were compared to the other team or was it they were relatively ‘rested’ having been less exposed to game time
England had one of the higher amounts of teams in that tournament with first team experience.
The RFU sacked 42 staff today to “Help balance the books”!
42 weren’t sacked. More than 42 received warning letters, that their job is at risk, I’ve seen the letter. There’s a process to go through before anyone is made redundant, and no one is being sacked.
It’ll be interesting to see how it works, but it could lead to clashes.
Have more England A games
And spread them around the country to help the game
Especially with tier 2 teams
Thoughts.??
Trailfinders could play at Brentford now that London Irish have vacated it.
True. But I worry for clubs that don't own their own stadiums e.g. London Irish, Wasps, London Welsh etc ..
There’s too many non English qualified players in the Premiership denying young players valuable playing experience. I’m all for foreign players but restricted to 2 or 3 per club squad. I liked Harlequins, but look at their recent signing all foreign. Not sure I’ll be rooting for Harlequins anymore.
Totally agree, I did a count just before Londoin irish went under and there were 157 foreign qualified players in the premiership... compare that to Super rugby etc. and there are less then 10.
Quins have been one of the better ones but on average it's 25% of each squad is foreign but whats worse is many of them are in three specfic positions - inside centre, prop and lock
It’s a mess. Currently in the premiership only two overseas players can play on match day for each team. Sounds good .However this ruling is pointless and made irrelevant because of the European Court of Justice’s Kolpak ruling, which came into being in 2003. As a result of the ruling; South African, Tongan, Fijian and Samoan players were not classified as overseas players in the context of the Premiership’s squad rules. Welsh Scottish and Irish players are also exempt.
Certainly many good overseas players contribute to the Premiership and their clubs however the Kolpack ruling makes a mockery of it. I don’t blame the clubs for recruiting overseas players but what is the point of setting limitations on premiership clubs on overseas players if the exemptions on this ruling make the process pointless
Final say should really be with the player you would think.
Of course teams are being taken advantage of. The RFU are smart for doing this. 😅
As you say, we're playing catch-up, so this is at least a step in the right direction
Why can't they pick English players who play overseas
Let's just hope they don't go and hand out enhanced contracts to players who are either already on top money (e.g., Itoje) or not someone that needs to be kept in the UK (e.g. Slade, Marler etc.). For me these need to be used for long term players like Baxter, Obano, Cunningham-South, Lawrence, F. Smith, M. Smith, Slightholm, Feyi-Waboso, a few key players (e.g. Furbank) and some weak positions such as tighthead prop or inside centre. Should also be used to get players like Arundell and Willis back to the UK...
Just an idea but how about putting it into grass roots
Such as?
The minimum ground requirements for the Prem I never understand. A) the RFU solution is for the club to get in to more debt that they can't afford, and B) a smaller stadium fully packed is infinitely better than a rented football stadium at 20% capacity
They demand a 10000 seat stadium, but look at the attendance figures and you’ll see that clubs like sale almost never get over 6000.
As Twickers fills up the grass roots game is dying.
There’s two ways this could go. Clubs bring through academy players to fill the holes left by their internationals when the RFU tell them they can’t play. Or, clubs bring in more foreign born talent and rely less on homegrown English players.
I was very disappointed the the RFU didn't reintroduce a revamped EQP system [this time more along the lines of the French jiffe program] Where if you want to play in the premiership then 12-13 of your match day team must be English qualified and by qualified i mean by birth or family or that they have lived here for over seven years That would force to a certain extent clubs to play English talent Rather than going and buying in a S.African or Pacific Islander ect i also want to see a real and proper academy leagues programes [Junior and senior] that includes championship clubs aswell as premiership This would mean our young talent gets to play all year Rather than just the few months they do now Also i feel that more attention should be given to trhe university BUCS matches Promising talent can then be invited to special training sessions with the England age group coaches [U18 / U20 , England B and Senior teams coaches
This is a good step forward but it is an absolute waste of time, because the prem is chock full of overseas players including Scottish Irish and Welsh, until the rfu enforce their rules of no more than 2 non Eqp players in the starting 15 nothing will change because the conveyor belt of players from below is blocked from ever playing in the prem and by extension England! Many teams in the prem play up to 11 non eqp in their squad every WE, so therefore any changes to the system will make absolutely no difference!
The French jiff system works very well.
Total waste of money the RFU are Bunch of dinosaurs
264 million pounds wow.. rather just hire Rassie would be much cheaper
maybe he wouldn't last long.........
Here we go again 😂😂😂.
One thing that is required for England to improve. As a team they need to learn how to play better but history tells us they have the innate ability of not being able to play above themselves like the Scots, Welsh and the Irish.
Don't you mean Allianz England?
Waste of money
The best thing that the RFU has done since professional rugby started, pity that it has taken so long to achieve but I guess we have to thank that Chinaman for eating that bat otherwise we would still be going round in circles.
First.