Premiership clubs face losing England players for half of games next season

[Puja]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/ ... -world-cup

GOSH, I'm glad we're expanding the number of teams in the Premiership; I'm sure that's not exacerbating this problem at all.

Interesting factoid here:

While the opening two rounds of next season’s Premiership are likely to take place without England squad members in action, clubs can seek dispensation for players to return early, provided the RFU, Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Players’ Association all agree.

After the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa last year, the majority of England players involved were granted dispensation to return ahead of schedule, though of the 10 who appeared in the Test series against the Springboks, only Maro Itoje has avoided a lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury this season. Itoje, as it happens, was one of the few players to be given the full 10 weeks off.

Puja

[Peej]

Yeah and you wonder how hard he fought for it to get it. The pressure the clubs put on players to play was huge.

It just devalues the whole product by cramming more domestic and international games into an over-full calendar.

[Oakboy]

I still can't understand how rugby can live with international games taking place at the same time as top level club games. Not allowing it remains the starting point in any negotiations, IMO.

[32nd Man]

of the 10 who appeared in the Test series against the Springboks, only Maro Itoje has avoided a lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury this season. Itoje, as it happens, was one of the few players to be given the full 10 weeks off.

Puja

And yet there are some making the argument that the English Lions must tour Australia for cohesion reasons.

[FKAS]

of the 10 who appeared in the Test series against the Springboks, only Maro Itoje has avoided a lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury this season. Itoje, as it happens, was one of the few players to be given the full 10 weeks off.

Puja

And yet there are some making the argument that the English Lions must tour Australia for cohesion reasons.

I'm sure the RFU would say that but actually mean that the match fees they get from the ARU is probably conditional on selling a certain number of seats and naming a strong squad would help that.

Really screwing the clubs over nicely in a year with reduced cap. Don't want to end up like Cricket where the domestic game garners little interest and the England players rarely play for their clubs and so are rarely seen playing live by aspiring young players.

[32nd Man]

of the 10 who appeared in the Test series against the Springboks, only Maro Itoje has avoided a lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury this season. Itoje, as it happens, was one of the few players to be given the full 10 weeks off.

Puja

And yet there are some making the argument that the English Lions must tour Australia for cohesion reasons.

I'm sure the RFU would say that but actually mean that the match fees they get from the ARU is probably conditional on selling a certain number of seats and naming a strong squad would help that.

Really screwing the clubs over nicely in a year with reduced cap. Don't want to end up like Cricket where the domestic game garners little interest and the England players rarely play for their clubs and so are rarely seen playing live by aspiring young players.

It certainly makes me worry about the wisdom of Sale investing so much in Ford and Hill as replacements for none 6 nations players.

[Scrumhead]

of the 10 who appeared in the Test series against the Springboks, only Maro Itoje has avoided a lengthy spell on the sidelines with injury this season. Itoje, as it happens, was one of the few players to be given the full 10 weeks off.

Puja

And yet there are some making the argument that the English Lions must tour Australia for cohesion reasons.

I'm sure the RFU would say that but actually mean that the match fees they get from the ARU is probably conditional on selling a certain number of seats and naming a strong squad would help that.

Really screwing the clubs over nicely in a year with reduced cap. Don't want to end up like Cricket where the domestic game garners little interest and the England players rarely play for their clubs and so are rarely seen playing live by aspiring young players.

You could say the same about the URC. For example, Leinster fans definitely don’t see the likes of Sexton, Furlong etc. on a very regular basis.

At least in the Premiership the impact is spread a bit more.

[FKAS]

And yet there are some making the argument that the English Lions must tour Australia for cohesion reasons.

I'm sure the RFU would say that but actually mean that the match fees they get from the ARU is probably conditional on selling a certain number of seats and naming a strong squad would help that.

Really screwing the clubs over nicely in a year with reduced cap. Don't want to end up like Cricket where the domestic game garners little interest and the England players rarely play for their clubs and so are rarely seen playing live by aspiring young players.

It certainly makes me worry about the wisdom of Sale investing so much in Ford and Hill as replacements for none 6 nations players.

It did make me feel a bit better about losing both Ford and Genge in the summer knowing that their replacements will be around far more than those they were replacing. Not sure that their replacements will as good though.