'It will be fascinating to see how this plays out at the World Cup' - Hopley on South Africa's RWC player rep
Players chief Damian Hopley believes South Africa have stolen a march on their World Cup rivals by drafting a players’ representative into their management team for the tournament in Japan.
Eugene Henning, the chief executive officer of MyPlayers (the South African players’ representative body), has been added to the Springboks team management until the end of the World Cup in Japan to ensure the squad’s views are taken into account.
Henning will be quizzed about the ground-breaking move later this month at an executive meeting of the International Rugby Players, the umbrella organisation for players’ representative bodies throughout the game.
The Springboks’ initiative comes at a time of increasing concern over the pressures being put on top players and is in stark contrast to the Springboks World Cup preparations in 2003 under Rudolf Straeuli which featured time in the infamous Kamp Staaldraad (Camp Barbed-Wire) where players were ordered to climb into a foxhole naked and sing the national anthem while ice-cold water was poured over their heads.
While South Africa, under current head coach Rassie Erasmus, have embraced calls for player welfare to be given greater importance, England have told RugbyPass they will continue to rely on their established lines of communication while Ireland confirmed they have no plans to follow the Springboks lead.
(Continue reading below…)
England, like many international teams, use a senior group of players to take a sounding on training and playing plans. However, Henning will be able to argue his case at the very heart of the Springbok regime.
Hopley, CEO of the Rugby Players Association (RPA) which looks after English rugby’s professional players, said: “The Springboks decision to involve Eugene is a first for an international team and a very progressive step which has tremendous merit. Throughout the game people are looking at how they can get those one per cents, the small gains that can add up.
“It will be fascinating to see how this plays out at the World Cup. If it is successful I have no doubt other international teams will look at how they can replicate it. The International Rugby Players executive meeting takes place this month and it will be a chance to talk to Eugene about this.
Eugene Henning, the CEO of MyPlayers (the players’ rep body), has been seconded to the Springboks for the 2019 international season, joining the team management until the end of the Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Read the full article: https://t.co/CqlheuCcDF pic.twitter.com/of25Ur48X8— Springboks (@Springboks) April 1, 2019
“We [RPA] have had people working with the major England teams in terms of providing an independent sounding board but not specifically to address player welfare. That is a first. We wouldn’t interfere with any squad environment apart from operating in our role as the commercial agents of the England team.
“There is dialogue around Eddie Jones (England head coach), Richard Hill (England team manager) and the Professional Game Board. The general industrial relations in the English game are, we believe, robust enough to resolve anything that cannot be worked out at the coal face.
“This move by the Springboks does have benefits and they are looking at things in a progressive way. There is a feeling that while people talk about player welfare in rugby, a blind eye is turned when it doesn’t suit them.”
Want to know what to expect at the Rugby World Cup in Japan? ???
South Africans, who have played there, open up about the conditions, rugby & culture!
Read interviews ?? https://t.co/JP7788KtjV pic.twitter.com/MuFegE4ard— Springboks (@Springboks) April 30, 2019
Springboks coach Erasmus, who has driven the idea, said: “The coaches can manage the playing and training workloads, but we need to look after the off-field workload as well. The management of player wellness will be a very important focus area for us this year, and it’s great to have someone with Eugene’s unique insight and experience on board to assist.
“By the time the World Cup kicks off in September in Japan, our players would have been involved in pre-season training, a Vodacom Super Rugby campaign, various Springbok alignment and training camps, played in the Rugby Championship and have a comprehensive World Cup training programme under their belt.
“We also have to take into consideration a host of other important activities that happen in the background, such as medical and conditioning preparation, the various daily planning and preparation sessions, media, PR and commercial engagements.
“On top of that we have to take into account that they actually have their own personal and family affairs to look after at the same time. So Eugene will come onboard to essentially assist the players with their day-to-day task management and to serve as the first point of call on all player-related matters within the Springbok set-up.”
WATCH: Part one of the RugbyPass documentary on what the fans can expect in Japan at the World Cup
Comments on RugbyPass
Wouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
49 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
49 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
49 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
49 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
1 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
49 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
49 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
49 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
49 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
49 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
49 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
49 Go to commentsSurprising how standing down or benching a player can do wonders for their motivation. Several players this week in that category.
2 Go to commentsHaha lads lads lads, that’s how you have a holiday In Majorca
4 Go to comments