Loose Pass: French flex financial muscle as more players cross the channel and a kit clash backlash for World Rugby

Lawrence Nolan 25 Apr 2023 6:55 PM

This week we will mostly be concerning ourselves with European rugby’s fracturing financial landscape, simmering grievances and ill-conceived breaks with tradition…

The dam buckles

As the business end of the European (and South African) season approaches, along with a World Cup, which often punctuates rugby’s development/evolution cycle, the groundswell of discomfort in the UK – except Ireland – gets clearer and clearer.

Players are heading to France in droves. Those who aren’t are saying they want to, or murmuring overtures to that end (more on that in a moment). Even allowing for the salary cap increase to €7.2m approaching in 2024, English clubs are close to 25 per cent less in salary budget terms than their cross-channel counterparts – and that’s if they have the cash to be able to go that high. French and Irish teams are dominating Europe, with the former possessed of some serious financial muscle and enviable squad depth, the latter bearing the fruits of a magnificently-constructed player-production line.

It’s also worth noting, when comparing France and England, that this was a week when England’s second-tier clubs once again clamoured for more financial recognition and bemoaned the neglect from the national governing body. Meanwhile, in France, the Pro D2 might not be the world’s most accomplished league, but it is well-run, well-competed, and is beginning to produce many a fine player whose talents are quickly snapped up by Top 14 teams. Wales? It struggles to turn out four professional teams and is also bleeding players. Scotland is in a happier niche with two teams, but while the recent revival has been most welcome, it’s difficult to see Scotland ever being a serious threat in the Six Nations again, given the scant resources. England has lost two clubs, it’s rumoured a third and fourth may follow at the end of this season.

??????? A detailed review of how the Welsh regions fared this season. #URC

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) April 24, 2023

The loosening bricks in the dam preventing more players heading to France are the regulations regarding international selection in Wales and England. But Jack Willis was succinct this week in noting that, having examined all the options available to him in England, he took another look at Toulouse and the team-mates he had: “I couldn’t really believe how great a club I was at; I’d have felt stupid to be turning that down.” Willis will not be available for England selection after the World Cup unless the RFU relaxes rules. It will come as a watershed moment if it does. Wales’ brightest prospect Joe Hawkins faces a similar wait.

Is post-World Cup that watershed moment? If it is, it will also be a moment which reflects just how far the Top 14 has outgrown its counterparts and could leave European competition floundering.

But what can the others do? The URC has made great strides, but it still struggles for identity and consistency. The Premiership has, as has been written here before, become more attractive but far less substantial. Fewer clashes between international and league weekends are constantly talked about as one way to help, something which has been well-managed in France. Competitiveness in Europe is another drawcard for players, something increasingly lacking in England, Wales and Scotland. The former is another item on the post-World Cup discussion table, the latter will only come from management improvement.

And money. It’s not all down to money – ask Leinster – but a lot of it is. As rugby’s financial landscape continues to fracture, expect many of the game’s nuances to fracture with it.

Weakening teams is not on

On a similar note to the above, better fixture management would absolutely add value to leagues all over.

Bulls fans would be forgiven for being disappointed at paying to watch the second team of Leinster they laid waste to last weekend rather than the first one, but at least it made no difference to the table, ultimately.

London Irish coach Declan Kidney was diplomatic after his team went down to Saracens and thus lost their chance of a Premiership semi-final place at the weekend, but it escaped nobody’s notice that Saracens, in fielding an under-strength side against Northampton the week before, almost guaranteed a home semi-final against the same by doing so, and losing.

It’s a bit rich of us to complain about player welfare as long as we have and then lament a team giving several hard-working internationals a rest week, yet it’s also a bit disappointing that in rotating their players, Saracens were able to influence the destinies of other clubs’ seasons so clearly.

Not Saracens’ fault or doing. But when the conversation about the fracturing landscape from above is had, aspects like this need to be taken into account.

? Springboks and All Blacks jersey row.
? Retiring stars.

5? rumours and transfers.https://t.co/1wEd0NFeTZ

— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) April 21, 2023

Black and white?

Inclusion is, and should remain, one of rugby’s critical values. But was the limit reached in the new policy to be introduced by World Rugby that teams should play in ‘dark’ and ‘light’ kits so as to assist colourblind viewers?

It threatens to cause around 50 per cent of the All Blacks fixtures to be played in their change strip, for example, not least the annual clash with South Africa, who would also have to play in white against the old foe. Wales and Ireland would also be reduced to playing change strips against each other, as would England and Australia.

We do live in an age where club sides change colours on what feels occasionally like the endless whims of the new PR employee, but national colours, and identities, are far more sacrosanct and contain a good deal more value in terms of both loyalty and commercial value.

Both South Africa and New Zealand are taking World Rugby to task over the matter, other unions are expected to join suit. But it may be that we’ve seen the last of the black v green clashes by the end of 2024.

England