RFU and clubs move closer to peace deal
Paul Rees
Friday March 9, 2007
GuardianTwickenham and the Guinness Premiership clubs are close to ending the fixture chaos and conflicting demands on leading players which have dogged England since the World Cup win in 2003.
Representatives of the 12 clubs met Rugby Football Union officials in Heathrow yesterday . The RFU had hoped to have the basis of an agreement to put to its council, which meets tomorrow to discuss the Union's consultative document , The Way Forward, but the 12 clubs endorsed the demand by their umbrella body, Premier Rugby, for clubs to be given shares and greater voting rights on the board of the organisation which runs the Heineken Cup, European Rugby Cup Ltd. The RFU is the only union which has opposed the change, prompting French clubs to withdraw from the tournament next season.
"We are very close to agreeing a package regarding the release of players to England," said a club official who was present at the meeting. " Everyone wants an end to club-country disputes and we feel that the Heineken Cup issue next week will show the RFU's commitment to peace. We have shown we are prepared to give ground."
The long form agreement between the RFU and the clubs, meant to cater for elite players, runs to the summer of 2009. Both sides want it replaced by the time of the council's next meeting, in June.
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4 comments:
This must be the 101st such press release that says peace is at hand - bit like free beer tomorrow
Note that the contracting of players - which has been the clubs bargaining strength to date is now subservient to the commercial rights of the European Cup - this may be the trade off Premier Rugby needs as the RFU's finances depend much more on international success than the success of clubs in European competition. The really interesting trend is the start of a noticeable supporter view that club competition may be ultimately more attractive than international competition. That would see rugby following a soccer trend of more focus on the club and its playing staff (which might be foreign or at least selected on less than national basis). This may have a long term effect on weakening international competitiveness (as has been said about the England soccer team) by limiting the availability of home qualified talent. Media wise international rugby currently dominates viewing, mostly because it is free to air. It would be interesting though to compare viewing stats for the SANZAR Super 12 versus those for internationals in the Tri-nations to see if club based competition matches up to the international game in terms of viewing.
"The really interesting trend is the start of a noticeable supporter view that club competition may be ultimately more attractive than international competition."
good point do you think it is the frequency of the matches or is it the way the euro macthes are palyed (do the players seem to care more?)
I think the viewing figures on Sky (for any sport) are difficult to gauge, I will look out for this years Sweeney Report to see what the TV figures for the tri nations are like,
cheers
PK
My view is its a more akin to a local sense of pride which overcomes a less strong patriotism - certainly I can see international football via a super league trying to tap into the same passion. However for the non participating club supporter, international rugby does allow some chance to see heroes in action - the issue is that if access to players by national side is restricted then they can't develop a coherent style of playing, or if clubs assemble 'super stars of multi nationality then its hard to see how development happens for the next generation - an issue soccer is just starting to debate. One answer in rugby is to have a development league outside the premier for the rising stars , and have a draft pick for the premier , thus saving them the cost of academies, and putting better playing resources in the hands of the second tier clubs - this is precisely how it works in Wales and to a lesser extent, Ireland I think.
It might be worth researching the development issues in English soccer and rugby as both national sides seems in a steady decline, while both sports premier leagues are filling up with non nationally qualified players, although no-one in rugby has yet done an Arsenal or Chelsea and fielded an all non English qualified side.
From BBC Sport at http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/6500601.stm
Premier clubs make offer to RFU
England's top clubs have revealed their plans for the game's future.
Premier Rugby (PRL), which represents the 12 top-flight clubs, has sent its offer to the Rugby Football Union.
It is asking for £12.4m-a-year funding and in return proposes that no player in the England team will have to play for their clubs during the Six Nations.
Premier Rugby also proposes a "Professional Board" to run the pro game in England and repeats its demands for a direct stake in the Heineken Cup.
The main points contained in the offer are:
A new Elite Player Management (EPS) system:
Premier Rugby says the new deal offers "significantly increased player access".
The main difference is that EPS players selected for the autumn internationals and Six Nations would not have to play for their clubs, starting from the weekend before the first match.
Increased funding from the RFU:
At the moment Premier Rugby receives £5m-a-year from the RFU (£6m in a World Cup year) which it distributes to its member clubs.
Premier Rugby is demanding £12.4m-a-year under the new deal, which it wants to run for a minimum of eight years from the start of the 2008-09 season.
A greater say in the running of the game:
This comes in two ways.
The first is the formation of a "Professional Board", which would "only focus on playing-related matters", to govern the elite game in England.
The board would comprise four RFU members, four from Premier Rugby, two from the Professional Rugby Players' Association (PRA) and one from the Division One clubs (FDR).
The second is Premier Rugby's repeated demand for a direct stake in the Heineken Cup, which the RFU has consistently refused to agree to.
Premier Rugby wants the "shareholding and votes to be equally divided between PRL and the RFU".
Premier Rugby's offer is the latest shot in the long-running disagreement with the RFU, who recently launched its "Way Forward" document setting out its view for the future of the game in England.
Story ends
Here's a thought - say the RFU see the players as the key resource (as the clubs did when the game prfessionalised),and not the historic clubs who created the premiership. Then asking for £12m year is only the start - the European rights would bring in more (I think Premier Rugby are betting on that)so the clubs wil have the RF by the nose.
> But ...Assuming England can't win this world cup - then if I were the RFU I'd be grabbing hold of the academies looking for talent, and offering contracts...bit like the clubs in 96 and also tempting a few of the younger players with money offers in excess of the salary cap (whihc only applies to clubs)- I think their natural allies are First Division Rugby as the clubs there face the choice of being nurseries for the Premier (a few are used to give young players experience already) or having an independent existence - now £12m would go a long way in the First Division and some of those clubs are historically, pillars of the English game like Coventry, Bedford and the clubs in Cornwall and Devon - the question is whether RFU and England need the Premier Clubs and their demands for more and more money? perhaps too radical but...
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