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Six Nations statement: Tom Curry 'Tunnelgate' incident
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How RFU's new PGP will even help Finn Russell after Scotland duty
By Liam Heagney
This week’s unveiling of the new eight-year professional game partnership governing the set-up of elite rugby in England won’t just boost the chances of Steve Borthwick’s national team – it will also provide assistance to the likes of Scotland’s Finn Russell and other rival internationals who ply their club trade in the Gallagher Premiership.
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It was Wednesday afternoon at Allianz Stadium, the new brand name for Twickenham following its recent naming rights deal, that RFU chief Bill Sweeney and some fellow administrators provided an in-depth outlook on the mechanics of the deal that has replaced the old professional game board.
The new partnership is a collaboration between the RFU and Premiership Rugby that also includes RPA, the players union, who have also wielded their influence on the deal. Included in the changes that will be implemented is the provision of mandatory rest at clubs for players such as Scotland’s Russell, the Bath out-half, after they have been on international duty.
RPA general secretary Christian Day explained: “This was work we took on with International Rugby Players and World Rugby. World Rugby are setting international standards around the world, and those standards are going to be applied here.
“The internationals – we have got Argentinians, Scottish players, Welsh players – if they play every game in an international block, they will get mandatory rest in the three weeks after the tournament.
“We talk about trying to produce a world-class environment and attract the best players. If we have a Finn Russell, who is playing for Scotland, is the perfect example. If he knows he comes to the English Premiership and comes under the World Rugby protocols, he will have mandatory rest post-tournament. He wouldn’t get that in France (when he was at Racing 92).
“That should be a real positive in attracting the best international talent, but also we obviously want to retain the best English talent. That is part of my role as the players’ association, I want to produce a world-class environment for players, that’s what I am striving towards. I represent the players playing in England.”
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Premiership Rugby director Phil Winstanley insisted that the newly inked deal would not result in England tinkering with its policy of not selecting players based outside the country as part of Steve Borthwick’s Test squad.
Numerous international players have quit the Premiership in recent years, the likes of Kyle Sinckler, Lewis Ludlam, Joe Marchant, Manu Tuilagi, Owen Farrell, Courtney Lawes, Sam Simmonds, David Ribbans and the Vunipola brothers moving to France and ruling themselves out of England contention.
Winstanley was adamant there would no loosening of the current home-based selection policy, especially now that the new professional game partnership has given Borthwick an enhanced elite player squad of up to 25 players where he has the final say on their sports science and medical matters.
“The bottom line is, everything we have talked about is the plan to put together a group of players that gives Steve Borthwick the best chance of English success. If we were to step outside of that, none of those access rights, controls, input, IDPs (individual player plans) exist anywhere else.
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“The number of release, the training days, the time in camp together, falls away under regulation nine, so we have to stick to our position that we want the best players playing in England.”
Players in England are expected to play no more than 30 matches per season, according to the new partnership agreement.