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).
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin December 31, 2023 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 December 31, 2023 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.