The Premiership owners group and their hapless chief executive, Darren Childs, seem to have an obsession with showing the Lions who’s boss in the never-ending northern hemisphere wrangle over club and international playing windows and player release.
At some stage, the RFU will wake up to the public reaching for the off button as the Premiership snares this sport in another interminable administrative feud.
The latest argument started with Lions head coach Warren Gatland using the announcement of his coaching group this week to warn Premiership clubs that their stance of denying the touring side training access to players in English top tier clubs once the domestic fixtures are finished in June, could backfire on their chances of winning Lions selection.
Gatland’s exasperated comments were aimed mainly at the Premiership’s refusal to release players until after it's final on June 26. This is even though eight English clubs will finish their season a fortnight earlier, and have players available for the Lions’ ten-day training camp, while two more clubs will be in the same position after the playoffs a week later.
Gatland has told the Premiership more than once over the past year that unavailability for Lions training could impact selection. It is disingenuous for the Premiership to say it has not been informed – and it is playing parish-pump politics with the careers of every England international who is a Lions candidate, as well as internationals from the other Home Unions playing for English clubs.
These include Gloucester’s Louis Rees-Zammit, Northampton’s Dan Biggar (both Wales), Exeter’s Stuart Hogg and Jonny Gray, Gloucester’s Chris Harris, and Bath’s Cameron Redpath (all Scotland), as well as Bristol’s Callum Sheedy (Wales).
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin April 18, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin April 18, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Unbeaten Lymm put the Tykes on a leash
LYMM maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, taking the major scalp of Leeds Tykes and ending the visitors' unblemished start.
Dramatic late win boosts leaders
A LAST-minute converted try saw Tonbridge Juddians snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Barnes.
England need to be more consistent
I WAS at last week's game against the All Blacks and as much as I enjoyed my first visit to the stadium since the Six Nations, I couldn't help noticing a different attitude of those in control of the stadium's notification system which puts out messages to the crowd.
Cuthbert: Wales have to deliver
ALEX Cuthbert says the pressure on Wales is huge ahead of their opening Autumn Nations Series game against Fiji today.
Anyanwu heads the list of star attractions
TOP 14 transfer speculation is always thoroughly entertaining, and this season has so far been no exception.
Goldthorp can challenge Kildunne for No.15 spot
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning head coach Nathan Smith is backing Fran Goldthorp to compete with Ellie Kildunne, right, for England's No.15 jersey.
Four-try David calls the shots for Bears
MILLIE David helped Bristol blow Leicester away after scoring four of their 10 tries at Welford Road.
Scott-Young keen to follow his father
TYPICAL of most Australians, Scott-Young Angus has fairly sunny disposition and the loose forward is confident that Saints can soon start to turn things around on the road.
When value for money is not part of the deal
ENGLAND'S bench strategy against New Zealand - goodbye \"bomb squad\", hello \"squib squad\"-has been investigated, psychoanalysed, convicted on all charges and mercilessly sentenced by the entire rugby world and its maiden aunt, so there is no earthly point in returning to the scene of the crime.
'I want to prove my worth to Bath'
OUT-OF-FAVOUR winger RuBath aridh McConnochie is hoping to use the Premiership Cup to lay down a challenge to Johann van Graan and make his selection claims impossible to ignore.
