'It's hard to argue that that isn't a very, very attractive time of year to be playing in'
Following the announcement of the key welfare and calendar changes to the English domestic game, Premiership Rugby chief Mark McCafferty told RugbyPass how the next few Gallagher Premiership seasons will work.
The changes mean that the English domestic season 2019/20 will commence with the Premiership Cup on September 21st with the Gallagher Premiership beginning on October 20th as McCafferty explains.
“In a Rugby World Cup year, we’re starting a month later at least for the primary competition, the Gallagher Premiership, starting during the knock-out stages of the World Cup and it goes on a little bit later, finishing later in June,” said McCafferty. “As a result of starting the Gallagher Premiership later, the gap between the Final at the end of this season in 18/19 and the start of the Premiership is a long period of time, perhaps longer than most players would want.
“Therefore we don’t necessarily need to give as many rest weeks during the course of the season.”
Going into the 2020/21 season which culminates in the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa, the season will start on the weekend of September 12th and is scheduled to finish on 26th June. McCafferty explains that it’s not all signed and sealed as far as the Lions tour is concerned.
He explained, “It’s a five week tour to South Africa, eight matches and that was agreed some time ago. We are in some discussions with them about the whole preparation for that tour and I’m glad to say that the Lions are engaging more on that front than perhaps they have done historically, which has been one of our complaints.
“But it’s early days in that process. We’ve set out the season structure and we’ll now sit down and work with them about how they need to prepare for that Lions tour and they are preparing much further in advance than perhaps that have done previously.”
The player welfare measures will mean that English players on the Lions tour will follow the tour with a mandatory ten week rest period, which would see them missing the start of the 2021/22 season which will commence on 18th September, coming back in line to play around the middle of the October. Any of those England players selected to play in the 2021 November internationals would be given a rest week during those matches.
The Gallagher Premiership finals will be pushing later into June across all seasons from 2019/20 onwards, an element McCafferty is excited by.
“Anybody who’s witnessed the Premiership final in the last few years, which has taken place in typically very good weather [with a] hard fast track at Twickenham, etc – it’s hard to argue that that isn’t a very, very attractive time of year to be playing in and with more end of season showpiece games taking place at that time of the year, I think the public will love it.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
No Islam says it must rule where it stands Thus it is to be deleted from this planet Earth
18 Go to commentsThis team probably does not beat the ABs sadly Not sure if BPA will be available given his signing for Force but has to enter consideration. Very strong possibility of getting schooled by the AB props. Advantage AB. Rodda/Skelton would be a tasty locking combination - would love to see how they get on. Advantage Wallabies. Backrow a risk of getting out hustled and outmuscled by ABs. Will be interesting to see if the Blues feast on the Reds this weekend the way they did the Brumbies we are in big trouble at the breakdown. Great energy, running and defence but goalkicking/general kicking/passing quality in the halves bothers me enormously. SA may have won the World Cup for a lot of the tournament without a recognised goalkicker but Pollard in the final made a difference IMO. Injuries and retirements leave AB stocks a bit lighter but still stronger. 12 and 13 ABs shade it (Barret > Paisami, Ione = Ikitau, arguably) Interesting clash of styles on the wings - Corey Toole running around Caleb Clark and Caleb running over the top of Toole. Reece vs Koro probably the reverse. Pretty even IMO. 15s Kelleway = Love See advantage to ABs man for man, but we are not obviously getting slaughtered anywhere which makes a nice change. Think talent wise we are pretty even and if our cohesion and teamwork is better than the ABs then its just about doable.
11 Go to commentsCompletely agree. More friday night games would be a hit. RFU to make sure every club has a floodlit pitch. Club opens again Saturday to welcome touch / tag. Minis and youths on Sunday
3 Go to comments1.97m and 105Kg? Proportionately, probably skinnier than me at 1.82 and 82kilos. He won’t survive against the big guys at that weight.
55 Go to commentsThe value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
11 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
54 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
11 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
54 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
54 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
55 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
54 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
54 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
18 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
18 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
54 Go to comments