Growing anxiety about the exodus of English players to French clubs has prompted the Rugby Football Union to issue a stark warning to the raft of internationals crossing the Channel this summer. Any individual unable to guarantee his availability for the 2010 tour to Australia faces exclusion from the RFU elite player squad this summer, effectively ruling him out of Test contention for a year and undermining his prospects of 2011 World Cup selection.
The RFU had already stressed they expect such players as James Haskell, Riki Flutey and Jonny Wilkinson to attend all squad sessions throughout the season, but is increasingly playing hard ball over the Australia tour. Rob Andrew, the RFU's director of elite rugby, and team manager Martin Johnson plan to travel to France for talks with Stade Français, Brive and Toulon – who are expected to complete the signing of Wilkinson next week – in an attempt to ensure their players will be fully available for the two-Test series against the Wallabies regardless of which clubs are involved in the latter stages of the Top 14.
Andrew and Francis Baron, the RFU's chief executive, are not apologising for raising the stakes as they attempt to prevent more players from following in the studmarks of Haskell, Flutey, Tom Palmer, Jamie Noon, Iain Balshaw, Steve Thompson, Andy Goode and, potentially, Wilkinson. "It'll effectively be our final senior tour before the 2011 World Cup and we need to guarantee full availability for it," warned Andrew, making clear that failure to do so would prompt expulsion from the EPS squad to be announced on 1 July.
"We cannot stop people signing a contract in the European market. What we can do is protect the integrity of the England programme which we've spent a long time negotiating.
"If a player can't be here when the team is training he's very unlikely to be picked. We're in discussion with all the players' agents and lawyers but the EPS players have to take responsibility for their own careers and how much they value playing for England."
It is understood that at least a couple of the foreign-based players do not yet have guaranteed end-of-season release clauses written into their contracts. The Top 14 title is a highly coveted prize in France and the final is likely to take place on the first weekend of June 2010. England want their players to be available a fortnight before that, placing some expats in a desperately awkward position. Baron, however, is not for turning. "Before 1 July, all the information has to be back with Rob and Martin. They will form a view about the extent to which the French clubs have been able to comply with our policy. They will then make a judgement call on whether they want that individual player or not. Our policy has always been tough and clear. We're now into the implementation phase and the policy does have teeth. We accept there is a possibility certain players may have to be excluded."
The possibility of a fourth autumn Test against Australia at Twickenham on 7 November could prompt a further messy date clash but, as yet, no deal has been struck with Premier Rugby. Discussions are also continuing between the RFU and their French counterparts at slowing the brawn drain, with non-international players such as Kris Chesney, Tom May and Scotland's Lamont brothers merely the latest non-French Premiership squad members to make the switch. "It hasn't stopped but I'm not sure we expected it to," said Andrew. "Everybody knows the reasons why some of these guys are going, not least in terms of the financial power of the French clubs at the moment and the strength of the euro."
The RFU, meanwhile, also remains uneasy about the cost of staging the 2015 World Cup. The deadline for bids is a week today and Twickenham officials are still in discussions with the government as they seek to meet the International Rugby Board's demand for an £80m tournament guarantee.
Scotland are the latest nation to withdraw from the fray and Baron expressed concern about the possible costs of event security in the event of a major terrorist attack in the interim. "A number of countries have indicated they're struggling to make the numbers work. We have to be satisfied that it is a sensible risk for the RFU to take. All bidding unions are going to need government support." A final decision is likely next week.
