It would also be a real boon to say, as we enter 2024, that everything is rosy in the rugby union garden but, given the current state of the game at the moment in England, and elsewhere, this column would be guilty of flying a false flag.
The biggest issue facing the game in England is whether the RFU is any longer fit for purpose as its governing body. The protracted Twickenham administration’s love-in with Eddie Jones, typified by the podcast where Conor O’Shea, the performance director charged with providing an objective assessment of Jones £750k p.a. role as part-time head coach, was his cheerleading co-host, is the tip of the iceberg.
The desperately poor second stage of the Australian’s tenure post-2019 went unchecked until, less than a year before the 2023 World Cup, he was belatedly sacked. Even then the RFU chief executive, Bill Sweeney, allowed Jones to jump ship immediately to become Australia head coach, despite England being in the same half of the World Cup draw. Fortunately for Sweeney and O’Shea, the Wallaby pool stage disaster that followed meant that the inside knowledge Jones had on England was not deployed against them. However, due to an RFU culture of almost total non-accountability, both Sweeney and O’Shea have sailed on – and now they have steered the RFU ship into the huge mass of the iceberg beneath the waterline.
Their desire to recast the professional end of the English game into American-style franchise leagues, in a limp imitation of the NFL, is in the process of doing such damage that their ship is listing badly.
The Sweeney and O’Shea strategy has seen the entire weight of the RFU, in terms of both finance and policy, thrown behind the Premiership cartel of 10 clubs through their hugely divisive Professional Game Partnership (PGP).
Denne historien er fra December 31, 2023-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 31, 2023-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
England can find a little bit of cheer
SO HERE we are on the final day of England’s autumn international series with all of us hoping and expecting Steve Borthwick’s team to win today after three weeks of bitter disappointment.
Stop messing with Marcus - Campese
DAVID Campese believes England are going backwards under Steve Borthwick, who is ‘messing around’ with talisman Marcus Smith.
Being a Lion was the highlight of my career
I PLAYED 19 games and scored 219 points for the Lions, on the tours to South Africa in 1968 and New Zealand in 1971, but I never played in a Test and that was fair enough.
Cook's crew not fazed as they eye tilt at top half
THERE appear to be few signs of second season syndrome at Westcombe Park as captain Nick Cook reveals the group aren’t even contemplating the threat of relegation and are instead targeting a top-half finish.
Forwards pack a punch for the Reds
OLD Redcliffians produced a proud defensive effort to take a bonus-point win.
Tom 'Ailes' the achievements of inspirational skipper Riley
SEDGLEY Park No. 8 Tom Ailes says his team relish the competitive nature of National One and is confident the Tigers can rectify their rocky start to the season in weeks to come.
Strachan confident Ampthill will be firing again soon
FRASER Strachan is determined to put Ampthill’s leaky defensive showings behind them and gain some much needed confidence in the run up to Christmas.
It's a whole new ball game for Rigg
WILL Rigg’s ambition was to become a professional cricketer but it is the oval ball rather than The Oval that is his driver now.
Scarratt leads the way for Lightning
LOUGHBOROUGH won a wet and windy East Midlands Derby after having the bonus point in the bag by half-time.
Becconsall: We need to release pressure
WILL Becconsall says Exeter are not spooked by the threat of relegation as they look to turn around their Premiership campaign after starting with six straight defeats.