England players including the captain Jamie George have voiced “extensive concerns” about their workload to the Rugby Football Union and raised player welfare issues facing international stars before agreeing their new contracts.
George has also insisted that the introduction of player welfare protocols specific to England players “needs to be explored” as part of the new deal which has seen the RFU award enhanced contracts worth £160,000 each to 17 players.
Sam Underhill and Freddie Steward are among the notable omissions from the 17 selected by Steve Borthwick but Tom Curry has been given a deal despite his long-term injury problems.
The contracts have finally been announced as part of a new Elite Player Squad agreement brokered by Team England Rugby (TER) – an organisation set up by the players to negotiate with the RFU after the decision was made to break away from the Rugby Players’ Association. The EPS is made up of 50 players including the 17 with enhanced deals.
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Theo Dan (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), George Furbank (Northampton Saints), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Jamie George (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Ollie Lawrence (Bath), George Martin (Leicester Tigers), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Negotiations with the RFU have been far from plain sailing with player welfare protocols and affordability for the union said to be among the stumbling blocks. A release by TER said its board – (Ellis Genge, George, Maro Itoje, Joe Marler and Anthony Watson) – “expressed extensive concerns about the current rest provisions for England players, as well as highlighting the specific player welfare issues faced by international players”.
A four-year agreement has been reached, however, days before England begin their autumn campaign against New Zealand on Saturday week. A management advisory group for the EPS has been established while an exemption process to manage player workload, where an individual is getting close to the 30-game limit, has been introduced. A research project will also be undertaken and reviewed at the end of the 2024-25 season, which will inform future welfare and rest provisions.
George said: “While we have reservations about some aspects of the current protocols, we’re encouraged by the progress made. Reducing games from 35 to 30 demonstrates a commitment to player welfare that we believe is crucial for the success of English rugby. However, the intensity of international rugby is greater than ever, and we believe that specific international rest protocols need to be explored. We hope that the results of the research project will support this.”
The enhanced contracts are the key part of the new Professional Game Partnership between the RFU and the Premiership clubs unveiled in September. George was one of two players offered a contract last season, along with Itoje, to ward off interest from clubs in France. The list of 17 features three fly-halves – Marcus Smith, George Ford and Fin Smith – but just one prop, Genge, a demonstration of the lack of depth Borthwick has in the front row. Both Dan Cole, 37, and Marler, 34, should play significant roles in the autumn Tests with Borthwick still reliant on their experience.
Curry’s inclusion is significant given he feared he may have to retire last year due to a hip injury. He was taken on the summer tour of Japan and New Zealand but Sale Sharks have said he will have to be managed through the season. Elliot Daly and Chandler Cunningham-South can consider themselves unfortunate to miss out.
The PGP is worth £33m a year to the clubs. Borthwick has greater control over the 17 players selected when it comes to strength and conditioning decisions and will have the final say on sports science and medical matters. That suggests Borthwick can influence when clubs can – or more pertinently cannot – select those players with some directors of rugby expressing their concerns.
While Genge is the only prop awarded a deal, George and Theo Dan are the two hookers given contracts. Ollie Chessum, George Martin, Itoje, Ben Earl and Curry complete the forwards. In the backs, Alex Mitchell – currently sidelined with a neck injury – is the only scrum-half while Ollie Lawrence, Henry Slade, Tommy Freeman, George Furbank and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso join the three fly-halves.
Borthwick is able to award up to 25 contracts but has chosen to hand out fewer. Players selected to represent England who are not among the chosen 17 will continue to receive a match fee. “I am confident that these contracts, and our strong relationship with the Premiership clubs, will play a significant role in England Rugby’s continued development,” Borthwick said.
The EPS deal also enables increased commercial opportunities for England players. Genge said: “As a group, we felt that there was an opportunity with the new agreement to look at the commercialisation of England players, both collectively and individually, and we wanted to be at the forefront of these changes. The RFU also recognised that enhancing players’ commercial potential is an area that has not yet been maximised across rugby union and we hope these new measures bring in new partners and new fans.”
