Time for change

[mol2]

There is no career progression for young English players.
There is negligible chance for those signed to Championship sides to move to the Premiership as they improve and mature. Perhaps different for those loaned by Premiership sides to the Championship but otherwise the Championship is a career dead end.

Does anyone know what proportion of Championship sides are foreign qualified?

The desire for results has overridden the need to develop local talent. If England do well, interest at club level from sponsors increases something the Premiership has forgotten and conversely the RFU doesn’t understand the need for a thriving Premiership to produce the England team. Stopping players from playing overseas is unhelpful. The Premiership isn’t good enough.

The Premiership seems happy to be an insular franchise competition. In spite of the salary cap 3 sides went under. Likewise is the Premiership still of a high enough standard to produce England players? The salary cap may allow a more even league but it doesn’t really allow those who might have the resources to put together a team capable of competing in Europe to do so. Yes there is a risk some side’s might overspend and go under, but the cap didn’t save Worcester, Wasps and Irish.

[Hot_Charlie]

Why Henderson, well 1, he was EQP (till his cap, so his entire Tigers career), 2, he's a talented player who improves Leicester Tigers, which is the team he was hired to improve.

And if he's really unlucky, he'll be EQP again in just over 35 month's time.

Depends if he has English blood, otherwise he can only play for Hong Kong!

He must have an English granny. Just like Thomas Waldrom!

[loretta]

And if he's really unlucky, he'll be EQP again in just over 35 month's time.

Depends if he has English blood, otherwise he can only play for Hong Kong!

He must have an English granny. Just like Thomas Waldrom!

Or a Welsh one, like Shane Howarth

[tigerburnie]

There is no career progression for young English players.
There is negligible chance for those signed to Championship sides to move to the Premiership as they improve and mature. Perhaps different for those loaned by Premiership sides to the Championship but otherwise the Championship is a career dead end.

Does anyone know what proportion of Championship sides are foreign qualified?

The desire for results has overridden the need to develop local talent. If England do well, interest at club level from sponsors increases something the Premiership has forgotten and conversely the RFU doesn’t understand the need for a thriving Premiership to produce the England team. Stopping players from playing overseas is unhelpful. The Premiership isn’t good enough.

The Premiership seems happy to be an insular franchise competition. In spite of the salary cap 3 sides went under. Likewise is the Premiership still of a high enough standard to produce England players? The salary cap may allow a more even league but it doesn’t really allow those who might have the resources to put together a team capable of competing in Europe to do so. Yes there is a risk some side’s might overspend and go under, but the cap didn’t save Worcester, Wasps and Irish.

I think you have a lack of understanding as to how the National leagues and the Championship work, there are players coming through the game that if good enough end up in the Premiership. Where do you think all the players come from, the academies get their players from clubs and there are still players moving up through the leagues. Premiership clubs dual register their young players when they leave the youth program and get their first taste of adult rugby in the leagues below, but there is also movement of players going in the opposite direction too, these will be predominantly English Qualified players. Rugby like all pyramids in life have a broader base with fewer opportunities the higher you rise in that pyramid, but as well as competition to progress through the game there are many players who chose not to go higher, some have careers that take precedence in their lives and rugby is still a game to most, not a career. There are still players in the Championship who do not want to play in the professional Premiership, there are players who do not want to be international players.
Now I don't for one moment defend the ring fencing of the Premiership, I am vehemently against it, on performance alone, I would be looking to change the RFU bosses, all of whom are doing a poor job it would seem, in a results performing business, they are not performing.
I await the the new "RFU Plan" with interest, then will know if there is a future for the game and a career for the players as a professional sport, because at the moment, there are a lot of nervous players wondering if the pro rugby balloon has burst and it might not be the money spinner some thought it would be,

[mol2]

Looking at the England team, there is a lack of players who get up the noses of the opposition.

Where's the annoying hooker like Cockers or Brian Moore.
The scrum halves are anonymous.
Where are the abrasive back rows?

Not dirty players but right, yappy pain in the behinds that draw the attention of the opposition away from the game. Probably the nearest is the over the hill Marler. Genge has lost his mojo at Bristol.

[Hot_Charlie]

Depends if he has English blood, otherwise he can only play for Hong Kong!

He must have an English granny. Just like Thomas Waldrom!

Or a Welsh one, like Shane Howarth

Didn't that turn out to be a "Welsh" grandparent and he was never actually qualified to play as he couldn't retrospectively prove his case?

[loretta]

Correct.

[eastyorkstiger]

Looking at the England team, there is a lack of players who get up the noses of the opposition.

i thought everyone thought ben earle was an annoying flanker

[mol2]

Looking at the England team, there is a lack of players who get up the noses of the opposition.

i thought everyone thought ben earle was an annoying flanker

I stand corrected.

[AngusMcCoatup]

And if he's really unlucky, he'll be EQP again in just over 35 month's time.

Depends if he has English blood, otherwise he can only play for Hong Kong!

He must have an English granny. Just like Thomas Waldrom!

Don't forget that Jonah Holmes found that his washing machine was made in Merthyr Tydfil and this allowed him to play for Wales until he found a blood relative that they accepted.
I hated Hoover washing machines no bloode good either so did not qualify.

[Hot_Charlie]

Depends if he has English blood, otherwise he can only play for Hong Kong!

He must have an English granny. Just like Thomas Waldrom!

Don't forget that Jonah Holmes found that his washing machine was made in Merthyr Tydfil and this allowed him to play for Wales until he found a blood relative that they accepted.
I hated Hoover washing machines no bloode good either so did not qualify.

Wales Rugby Union AI bot:

Yr 1 "Become an international"

Yr 2 "Now you must come and play in Wales"

Yr 3 "Now we can't afford to pay you anymore"

Yr 4 "Enjoy going back to play in the Championship in England"