SECRET PLAYER

ANEW DESIGN is not the only thing different about this month's Rugby World.

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You have also bagged yourself a new Secret Player too. First, thanks to the outgoing pro, you did a great job. Second, obviously I cannot tell you who I am or who I play for as it would defeat the object of this column. But I will reveal that I am a current professional rugby player and therefore have a direct line into all the thoughts and feelings of your favourite players when it comes to the biggest topics facing our game right now.

To kick this off, I thought it would be timely to chat about the Newcastle Falcons. The incredibly northern elephant in the Premiership rugby room. You'll have seen that the Falcons are set to receive around £4 million from the other nine clubs and CVC Capital Partners to keep the lights on next season. Meanwhile, you'll have also seen that Ealing Trailfinders, who sit top of the Championship, have been told by the RFU that they don't meet the standards required for promotion.