Solve Rugby's Problems By Ending Promotion

Solve Rugby's Problems By Ending Promotion

- Colin Boag

We could be witnessing the start of a perfect storm for English rugby: too many clubs losing too much money, ever-increasing demands on players to the extent that strike action has been mentioned, and PRL’s latest whizz, the controversial suggestion that the domestic season should run from September through to the end of June.

PRL has said that the current limit of a maximum of 32 games per player during the course of the season will remain, but they’ve been light on details about how the new extended season will work. However, they have uttered the now virtually meaningless mantra that ‘player welfare is a priority’ – no statement from any of the sport’s administrators can omit those words, but just saying them doesn’t make it happen.

We’re just at round five of the current Premiership season, but it does seem as though there are more injury crises than in the past – Bath pulled out of an ‘A’ game recently because they couldn’t raise a team, and several clubs have injury lists as long as your arm.