Premiership officials furious over Gatland's Lions threat to English-based players
Premiership Rugby bosses have been left bemused by the timing of the threat from Warren Gatland that English-based players could miss out on selection for the British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa unless they are released for a two-week training camp in the Channel Islands.
Gatland used the Tuesday media conference unveiling his four tour coaching assistants to suggest that players attached to English clubs not involved in the Premiership final could miss out on the trip to the home of the world champion Springboks if they were involved in a 50/50 call with a player from elsewhere who was free to attend the pre-tour departure camp.
That suggestion hasn’t gone well, however, with Premiership officials. While Gatland was announcing a staff consisting of Gregor Townsend, Steve Tandy, Neil Jenkins and Robin McBryde, the PRL in England – Premiership Rugby Limited – and the Rugby Players Association were holding a meeting the same day with Lions representatives to discuss compensation for clubs who have players picked and the fee that those chosen to tour with the Lions will be paid.
Both of these key deals have yet to be agreed and there is considerable frustration about what the clubs see as Gatland’s unhelpful intervention. For the 2017 Lions tour to New Zealand, the players received £65,000 each and the same amount was paid to their clubs or unions depending on where they were based.
Damian Hopley, the RPA chief executive, is leading the negotiations over player payments which are expected to be similar for this eight-match tour of South Africa. However, those negotiations are now being played out against the backdrop of Gatland’s claim that unless the English-based players are released for the training camp prior to the June 26 warm-up game with Japan at Murrayfield, they may not be considered for the likely 36-strong tour party.
"Now you’re having a discussion about them and that is a good discussion to have”
– Lions boss Warren Gatland has been speaking about poor England form, Saracens players and why there is still no tour resolution with the PRL https://t.co/3hwE0JLRvq
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 14, 2021
A Premiership Rugby source told RugbyPass: “This has left everyone bemused as negotiations were taking place the day that he made that claim. Using the players this way is wrong. Why would any club do anything to stop their players from representing the Lions? The San Francisco agreement on player release was for a five-week, eight-game Lions tour and now Warren Gatland wants to extend the release period to eight weeks.”
Gatland’s warning to Premiership Rugby and the England-based players was clear. “There have been agreements in the past and the Lions have always compensated clubs for the release of players – something they didn’t really have to do because the regulations allow for release on a certain date,” he said.
“We understand about the Premiership final (on June 26) and players involved in that, but we hope to be together for a couple of weeks of preparation leading into the warm-up game against Japan. If some players are not available for that preparation time, there are some tough calls to make.
“What we are asking is can they be released a little bit earlier when they have finished their club campaign? I’m just hoping we can get some resolution and that common sense will prevail so we don’t have to go through the squad and start looking at 50/50 calls on players and think, ‘Well, he is based in England so he is unfortunately not going to be available to us’.”
Gatland's new staff have got straight down to business, identifying 57 potential picks for the likely 36-strong Lions squad https://t.co/4685z9NiO3
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 14, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments