Steve Diamond scolds 'gang' looking to form breakaway players union
Sale boss Steve Diamond has given his full backing to the Rugby Players’ Association, insisting his club won’t entertain any of its players joining the proposed breakaway players union. Upwards of 100 Gallagher Premiership players have reportedly shown interest in joining the union that England and Leicester prop Ellis Genge has suggested could happen following the pay cuts that have hit the sport in England during the coronavirus pandemic.
Genge has claimed some players were frustrated by the advice they were given, prompting him and others to check out if there would be a groundswell of sufficient support to potentially set-up an alternative to the long-standing RPA which has been in existence since the late 1990s. However, if that ambition does come to fruition and a separate representative body is founded, it would likely encounter trouble getting support from Sale judging by the sharp remarks of the Sharks boss in a RugbyToday interview on BT Sport.
Speaking amid uncertainty that the game in England will be given the green light to resume the indefinitely suspended 2019/20 season, Diamond claimed: “As well as rugby, my background is I’m a builder, a printer in the newspapers. I was the last apprentice in Manchester in the newspapers from 1983 to 1985. It was union-led and it was fantastic. Unions are good if they are not radical and the RPA do a good job.
“Players have got to be careful for what they wish for sometimes and players have to understand the economics of life. No disrespect to players, sometimes they don’t when they are playing. They see this vacuum they are in and some earn a fantastic living. Course it’s not football money and you probably can’t retire on it but you know what, it’s a fantastic, fantastic way of life and generally if you’re good at it you can earn upwards of £300K, £400K, £500,000 a year, certainly if you’re an international.
“It’s the only time in my generation that we have had to go to our employers and accept that we do need to take a reduction and that is just one aspect I am looking at. The RPA do a good job. They can be better in some areas but can’t every organisation? The worry for me is that people are looking at it selfishly.
“The masses at Sale, for example, all agreed immediately that this was the thing for the club. Nobody asked what are other clubs doing. We said: ‘This is our club, this is how we run it’. And I just think it sticks in the back of the throat a little bit that people are suggesting another union would get them more or look after them better.
“They are looked after by all the clubs very well and the players’ union, with its limited resource, does a fairly good job. You have got to be careful what you wish for some of the time. In these sporting and world days of austerity, I would be tempted to keep my head down, work hard, support the club I work for and if you’re a good player, at your next negotiation you can get some more money.
“If you think you have had bad advice off the RPA there is plenty of lawyers about who you can go have a chat with for an hour and it will cost you £100 or so. None of the players who I feel are in this gang who want to start their own union are short or £100 for half an hour’s advice. I wouldn’t be entertaining any union at Sale.”
Diamond added that getting players and staff on board with the pay cut idea at Sale was a straightforward exercise. “I don’t know how other clubs have done it but when we asked our players to take a 25 per cent wages cut people like Faf de Klerk agreed immediately and signed the document there and then.
“Within six days, every single player, member of staff at Sale had signed it and some were in tears that they had still got a job. That for me has been really refreshing and you know you have got good people. Not even a question. There are a couple of people who fell into a hardship category we have helped and we would always do that but we have got a really good thing going at the club and I’m proud to be part of it.”
Comments on RugbyPass
excellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
9 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
9 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
9 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
9 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
9 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to comments