KEN OWENS

The Wales great who has represented the Lions and Scarlets with distinction

THE ADMINISTRATORS of rugby consistently forget that without the players, there is no game. There isn’t an infinite amount of players and so seeing them as assets and not pieces of meat is important. We need the top players playing for longer, in top competitions against each other. That means we all get a better product and, in turn, it attracts more boys and girls to the sport.

There have been some strides forward with player welfare, with changing approaches to brain injury protocols and some nations mandating time away from rugby after heavy periods. But a more streamlined view of rugby, across the world and on all issues like a global season, would make a better product.

And we need to look at what we are putting out there. Because are parents as willing to let their children play as they used to? I’m not 100% certain.