Rugby's stuck in the ice age. It needs to open up

Ben Jaycock talks to Freddie Burns about life in Japan and what he thinks the sport must do to attract the youngsters

FREDDIE Burns is loving life in the Japanese second tier after leaving behind the turmoil in the English game. The 33-year-old joined Japan Rugby League One – Division 2 side Toyota Shoki Shuttles from Super Rugby side the Highlanders last summer, having felt the English club game is suffering due to a lack of opportunities and decreased finances.

Burns was offered a one-year contract extension at Leicester, the club he drop kicked to Premiership glory in 2022, but opted for a two-year deal in Japan to return to the Shuttles after a previous spell in 2020-21.

“It’s not the same standard as I’ve played in before compared to Premiership, Champions Cup or Super Rugby but it’s like a purer form of the game that’s not overly analysed,” Burns told The Rugby Paper. “Similar to the Premiership was 10 years ago, it’s more free flowing with emphasis on the attack but defences aren’t up to the same standard as some of the top leagues.

“The game in England is a mess. It’s a great league in terms of the play but speaking to my agent recently about contracts I found out the mass problems with contracts and financial difficulties within England at the minute. I loved my time at Tigers, I’d do anything to play for them again but at my age to be offered a two-year deal here and have that security of an extra year really enticed me.”

Burns endured a difficult time at Bath from 2017-2020, where he was infamously known for celebrating too early and dropping the ball over the line late on in a Champions Cup fixture against Toulouse which subsequently knocked his side out of Europe.