The reason why ex-England prop Dan Cole insists rugby should remain a winter sport
Ex-England and Leicester prop Dan Cole has volunteered an excellent reason as to why the Gallagher Premiership should not change the timing of its season. With scoring on the increase in the league in recent times amid the good weather and bright evenings, there has been a suggestion that the Premiership should become a summer sport and move away from its traditional September to June window which sees numerous games played in the depths of the English winter.
In the 15 matches played in the last three rounds of matches ahead of this weekend’s semi-finals, a total of 852 points was scored – on average 62 per game. Cole himself even accounted for five, scoring a rare try in the Leicester win over Wasps.
It’s a generous increase in Premiership points when compared to the scoring in this season’s round three, four and five games during December and January. A total of 644 points were scored in the 14 matches played across those three rounds, an average of 46 per game, but Cole is a staunch advocate of winter rugby and the Leicester tighthead doesn’t want the season structure to change despite some calls for the tournament to be played the whole way through the summer months.
Looking red in the face following the sunshine of recent weeks, Cole told RugbyPass why he is a traditionalist who wants the Premiership to remain a competition that is played through the winter months. “I don’t want to get panned for saying rugby should be a winter sport,” he said, a debate in which Exeter boss Rob Baxter studiously said his piece recently about.
“It’s too hot to run around in summer. Look, it is whatever, we do what we’re told. I know the international rugby year, the international rugby season, is coming and partly one thing people want to see is running rugby, ball in play and that kind of stuff.
Ben Youngs has been speaking 30 days after a Sunday newspaper first revealed that the England centurion scrum-half was unavailable for 2021 Lions tour selection https://t.co/2CS6wGu7f6
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 1, 2021
“But if we are going to be nausey about things, pitch technology has moved on to the point now where you can have a good grass surface in winter so you can still play in winter whereas previously you would play on a bog which means the ball is never in play whereas now you can, the winter pitches are great. You can play and yes it might be a bit colder and wetter, but the quality of rugby being played now in winter is much better than it was five, ten years ago. For me, keep it as a winter game but I guess I get sunburned in the sun so that’s why.”
Asked about how supporters might feel if given a winter/summer choice, Cole continued: “The support in winter, I remember big European games, you play Boxing Day, you have great support and it’s brilliant. You have 26,000 people here on Boxing Day and it’s the loudest stadium and it’s brilliant because it is part of the festive season in some regards. One thing is whether it is played in summer or winter rugby is great with the spectators there and people enjoying the game and appreciating it. The players love it.”
Steve Borthwick has had his latest say on the Afoa situation that sparked last Saturday's Leicester-Bristol row#LEIvBRIhttps://t.co/vnnDhWpYJy
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) June 8, 2021
Comments on RugbyPass
RIP big man 🙏
1 Go to commentsThe GB coach. “Just because we don’t get together as much as other teams we don’t use that as an excuse for performances when we don’t hit the mark”. Why mention it at all then?
1 Go to commentsNo mention of the yellow card for Harlequins which really cost them.
3 Go to commentsThought you’d left us Nick. Good to have you back writing for us. So hunter ikitau works? I reckon wright kellaway as two of the back 3. Tim Ryan and Toole looking good for strike winger but I still want the power of korobeiti and figure our forwards still need him to help them out. Million dollar question is who plays 10? I’m thinking Noah for his kicking and combo with wright. Reckon the pair adds up to an attack and kellaway will help. Can you comment on Zac Lucas in Japan? How is he going?
1 Go to commentsMack Hansen, Ethan Roots, Taine Plumbtree, Louis Lynagh, Emmanuel Meafou? Which country do you want to pick your Barbarians from?
3 Go to commentsInstead of apologising, try to act like an adult, fcknut.
3 Go to commentsLooks like the Force twisted his leg…ahem arm
5 Go to commentsScotland should change their name to the Barbarians
3 Go to commentsThe game was already over leave the bloke alone ….from a Welsh fan 😀👍
3 Go to commentsShamefully the Toulouse players acted like footballers, falling down feigning injury at the slightest knock. About time refs penalised this play acting.
8 Go to commentsAnother non Scot for the anti Scot Townsend. Soon there will be no Scottish born and bred players in the National team.
3 Go to commentsGreat comeback to the playing field by Richie Mo’unga after the loss of his father. A great performance by Richie . I know him well and he is a great guy. On and off the field one of the greatest for the Crusaders. Scott Robertson would have loved him in his All Black’s side. A very missed player and person.
3 Go to commentsYeah nah he comes across as a funny bloke, but that stopped abruptly after the Nutcracker Prince debacle✋
3 Go to commentsAt this point I can’t watch him without thinking he’s a dirty slimebag. He should have been banned for the same amount of time that Quinn was out. It took Tupaea near on a fricking year to get fit enough to play again and his leg will never be the same. The other crap thing is that he was at ABs level and now he has to claw his way back there when he could have had several games under his belt.
5 Go to commentsThe Black Ferns 7’s have been without Captain Sarah Hirini now since Dec 23 in Dubai where she suffered a bad ACL injury - hopefully she is on the road to recovery for Madrid and Paris. Now also have Tyler King and Shiray kaka on the Injured List but the Team still found a way to win in Singapore and claim the overall Title.
1 Go to commentsUtter grub, hope he gets his leg broken. Shocking he is still playing after intentionally breaking quinn tupaeas knee
5 Go to commentsGreat to see NZ 7s teams finally coming into form and playing at the level that is expected of them.
2 Go to commentsChief Cheapshot on the market again.
5 Go to commentsCrusaders went all in to buy Hotham and Kemara staight from Hamilton Boys. Then they picked up Reihana and Hohepa; all have been dropped for superstar Havili, who is a very good fullback, that’s it. Ennor and Goodhue were schoolboy stars too but went backwards at the Crusaders. Maybe they have finally decided to give another poach Levi Aumua the ball?
16 Go to commentsJoe S has some talent to pick from. The Reds loosies look the best in Super? Aus might just give Razor a headache this year. Int. experience v Cantab greenhorn:) Should be fun.
16 Go to comments