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Pat Lam reveals when Premiership squad cuts are expected to be imposed
Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam does not expect maximum squad sizes to be imposed on Gallagher Premiership clubs as part of the new Professional Game Partnership with the Rugby Football Union until 2025.
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Lam met up with other Premiership DORs yesterday along with Nigel Melville, Executive Chairman at PRL Investor Board, Conor O’Shea representing the RFU and Phil Winstanley, Rugby Director at Premiership Rugby, to debate the proposals that would see clubs operating with a maximum senior squad of 35 players with a further 12 players in a ‘transition’ group from their academy.
The move is key to the negotiations taking place on central funding for the Premiership from the RFU, understood to be worth £128 million over the next four years.
A dramatic cut in squad sizes would have a significant impact on some Premiership clubs with Bath and Harlequins highlighted as operating with two of the largest squads in the league.
It is designed to try and steer the Premiership clubs towards a more stable financial future after decades of losses. A salary cap has not ended the annual losses and that is why smaller squad sizes are seen as the next step for the professional sport in England.
Lam, who takes his Bristol team to Newcastle on Friday night with the aim of avoiding a third successive loss at Kingston Park, said: “It is unlikely (to come in) next year but probably the year after. There will be time given because every club is at different ends of their cycles and we are coming out of a three year (contract) cycle. Everything has to go back to the owners and the board because they have the ultimate say but the good thing is that we are all in the room together and we want what is best for the game.
“There is a salary cap, but it is around making sure you are prudent and there are a lot of players on the market and some of the top ones are going to command some big dollars. As a club you have to ask yourself how you balance that out with the squad size. The way they have worked out the (maximum) number is that they have looked at injuries for the last six seven years. It is not just a number they have put out there and it is aimed at having the strongest possible squad that is also affordable so we stabilise the clubs going forward. It’s about making it better for everyone.
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“Is it perfect? Nothing is, but there is a real desire to improve the game in England at international and domestic level. The Premiership was the focus but everyone realises that the Championship is also part of the agreement and there needs to be strong competition.
“The success of the Premiership clubs in the Champions Cup shows how tough this competition is and we sit third from bottom in the league but are just 10 points off the top.”
Comments on RugbyPass
GOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
1 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
145 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
1 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
145 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
145 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
2 Go to commentsWhat ifs are always dangerous. If you look at the game before Sam cane got sent of SA was dominating. You could make the argument the going down to 14 men rallied the troops and made them have to play to win which is always dangerous.
145 Go to commentsOmg… you are bruised And battered Benny. Stop crying … the scoreboard speaks. What a pathetic lover you are.. 🤣🤣🤣
145 Go to commentsPacific Lions, cry me a river
145 Go to commentsThis is the single worst piece of journalism I have ever seen since your last one. As a neutral, who really states that there should be an asterisk next to a win? You are an utter embarrassment to real AB fans, journalism and that joke of a house which pays you for this nonsense. Get a life, Ben.
145 Go to commentsGuys. Cancel the World Cup champions after this analysis. It changes everything. Ben knows. We’ll have to unengrave the Bokke off the trophy and hand it to the ABs, now that I’ve been enlightened about this illegitimate win. This needs to be done. Now!
145 Go to commentsBen is right here though, Springboks were woefully poor with the advantage they had throughout this game. The France match was heroic because that was an even contest this match had it taken place in Rugby Championship would have been an easy win for NZ. If anything this match should tell the Bok coaches that a lot of this team should be changed. They beat this same NZ team by record margin with the same circumstances but with a different core. They bring back the tried and tested guys and they nearly botch this game.
145 Go to commentsI knew who wrote this article from the first few words in the headline…lol. The red card actually did the ABs a favour. It galvanized them, only then did they step up a gear. Before that there was zero momentum.
145 Go to commentsFirstly the foul on Bongi was a planned move just like the NZ master plan with Bryce Lawrence you kiwis are filthy fux perhaps try to play a cleaner game next time I doubt that’s possible tho but don’t worry world rugby is on yr side they trying to take away all the BOKS strengths to help all you weakling as Jeremy Clarkson would say LA OO ZA ERR..🤣
145 Go to commentsAbsolutely spot on Ben. I certainly wouldn't gloat over a win like that. Frustrating as it is it's done and dusted and history will forever show the result.
145 Go to commentsHo hum.
145 Go to commentsNo question they were the better team. But that is the beauty of sport isn’t it!
145 Go to commentsEveryone is into Hurling in Ireland according to Porter, but only 11 of Ireland's 32 counties enter a team into the national competition. Same old blarney.
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