Henry's French leave wont hold him back

IT’S time for the RFU/Premiership to wake up and go, ‘Wow, what’s wrong with us that a young player with the talent of Henry Arundell can opt out of playing for England by signing a two-year contract with a French Top 14 club like Racing 92?’

That’s for them to answer, rather than hanging that responsibility on a 21-year-old like Arundell who is just embarking on his professional rugby career and finding a way forward after London Irish, his Premiership club, went bust.

I believe he’s made a mature decision given the variables in today’s game. It makes sense in a number of ways, whether it’s financially, in terms of the overall level of competitiveness between the English and French leagues, how many games he plays, the quality of coaching, or in terms of lifestyle.

Arundell has made the choice based on what suits him best, and it is a call which is ambitious and gives him the chance to explore his limits without a microscope over his every move.

Scrutiny comes with being a high-profile player in England, but in Paris rugby players are pretty anonymous. It’s a big city with a whole array of interests, and he can stroll around the streets of Paris relatively undisturbed – whereas in rugby communities like Bath, Northampton, or even a London rugby village like Richmond, he would be subject to constant attention.

It’s a brave decision for Arundell to pass up the opportunity to play for England, but the RFU’s decision – based on Premiership attempts to keep English talent in the top pro league – to put a time constraint on him was dangerous.

I understand why the RFU/Premiership tried to limit him to one season overseas before rejoining a Premiership club because of its salary cap implications, but it didn’t work.