With 2023 coming to an end it is a time for reflection with regards to English rugby.
There are plenty of ways in which progress can be made, from removing the ban on foreign players representing England to reforming the RFU board.
Sir Clive Woodward reveals his ten-point plan to Mail Sport on how to improve matters.
1 – Ditch ludicrous foreign policy
Sometimes I look at English rugby’s corridors of power and think certain things would not be happening if I was still involved.
Henry Arundell’s contract with Racing 92 — making him unavailable for Tests — made me feel like that. The ridiculous ban on overseas players representing England would not exist if I was head coach.
You simply have to be able to pick the best players, and Steve Borthwick can’t do that.
The mindset that the ruling protects Premiership clubs is badly flawed. Three clubs have fallen into administration and England are nowhere near being the No 1 side in the world.
Premiership Rugby and the RFU need to understand that competition is the basis for high performance, not regulation.
It is ridiculous that Henry Arundell is not able to play in Tests due to his contract with Racing 92
Arundell is the brightest young England player and for him to not be playing goes against the fabric of international rugby. It is arrogant to think England is the best place for every player to thrive.
In the past we have seen Jonny Wilkinson move to Toulon and even he improved. Kyle Sinckler and Lewis Ludlam look like the next to go to the Top 14.
As an England player you want to know that not only are you the best player, but that you are lining up alongside the very best.
English rugby needs to focus on making the Premiership the place to be, not just limiting damage. I would abandon the foreign ruling and make the Premiership a destination players from France, especially, want to come to.
2 – Realise rugby talent alone is not enough
This is one of my favourite expressions. English rugby has just as much talent as it always has, but that alone is not enough for the national team to win.
You need the whole rugby business pointing in the same direction, from the boardroom to the players and coaches and the grass roots. It’s not happening now and in fact, I’ve never seen the English game so fragmented. That has shown at the highest level.
For the 2024-25 season, the RFU is set to implement new hybrid contracts for the country’s 25 top stars. The move is designed to keep England’s best players in England, but I think it represents flawed thinking and the lack of a joined-up approach.
Central contracts — or a form of them — should not be needed. They are a panic move born out of the game’s financial crisis.
It places Borthwick in a very difficult position. What if he wants to drop a player on a hybrid contract? Will there be pressure to keep him involved because his salary is part-paid by the RFU?
Steve Borthwick is in a difficult position if he wants to drop a player who is on a hybrid contract
Instead, I would properly pay the players for each appearance or each time they are named in an England squad. That would breed a culture of motivation. If a player gets a hybrid deal, complacency could slip in and they could think they’ve done the hard work.
Another option is to give more RFU funding to the 10 Premiership clubs, who are still struggling to pay their players the going rate. The RFU can afford it.
3 – Excite supporters, be bold and lead the way
Do England have the playing talent to win the next World Cup? Absolutely yes.
Watching the Premiership and Champions Cup in the last few weeks, I’ve been really impressed by so many players, notably Ben Spencer at Bath. Marcus Smith, Tommy Freeman and Will Joseph are youngsters who have caught my eye too playing an exciting brand that has fans on their feet.
Winning is everything in international rugby and England did well to finish third at the World Cup. But when you compare the way England have played these past four years to the ambition and innovation of France, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa, we are miles off the pace.
I’d like to see Borthwick evolve the team to play a style that gets the crowd going crazy. I would place an all-out emphasis on attack. Borthwick has the players to do it. Freeman in particular looks a brilliant prospect.
England need to be bold and innovative in the next four-year World Cup cycle to challenge the best. That applies as much to off the field as on it.
When I read some of the RFU’s key figures travelled to France to try to learn from their success, I just shook my head. I would much rather they travel to Lord’s and learn from Brendon McCullum or to Villa Park and corner Unai Emery to see how he sparked life back into Aston Villa.
Bath’s Ben Spencer is among the players capable of making an impact for England
4 – Reform the board with rugby experience
Last month I hosted a reunion to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the 2003 England team winning the World Cup. The room was packed with some of the biggest names in rugby, all of whom are bright, experienced, knowledgeable and passionate people.
It got me thinking, why isn’t Martin Johnson on the RFU board? Why aren’t Matt Dawson and Will Greenwood involved?
Apart from Bill Sweeney as chief executive, the RFU board operate in the shadows. Who are they and what do they do? The RFU needs no-nonsense people with experience who will front up on big issues. The RFU has good people but its leading figures are not proactive.
If the RFU employed someone with gravitas like Johnson, the situation that led Owen Farrell to step away from England would not have happened.
Johnson would have made clear it was unacceptable for England fans to boo Farrell. Instead, we had platitudes from the RFU after the horse had bolted and English rugby has lost its captain and talisman.
Having Martin Johnson on the RFU board would certainly help to improve matters
5 – No more nameless committees!
This is linked to the point above. There are nameless RFU committees making big decisions with no accountability.
It made me shake my head when Sweeney started speaking to the media again, but only after England avoided a group-stage World Cup exit. How relieved the anonymous committees must have been with third place.
Never mind the fortunate draw. Never mind their losses in the Six Nations and warm-up games. Never mind the style of play England were forced to adopt to compete. And never mind this leadership’s repeated failure to manage Eddie Jones’ decline since 2020.
These committees decided to keep Jones only to sack him a year later, leaving England to start from scratch in a World Cup year. We don’t know who those making these decisions are.
It has been indicated the RFU doesn’t name decision makers for fear of social media abuse. How utterly pathetic! These same people were happy to let Farrell take all the heat because they failed to act and protect him, but are scared of flak themselves.
There are nameless RFU committees making big decisions with no accountability – Bill Sweeney only spoke to the media after England avoided a group stage exit at the World Cup
6 – Bring back promotion and relegation
The 10-team Premiership is ring-fenced with no promotion and relegation. That has to change. All good sporting competitions have jeopardy. English club rugby doesn’t have that. It limits the potential for growth.
I’d also bring promotion and relegation into the Six Nations via a play-off.
I’ve watched from afar the growth of Wrexham after Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney took over. Would they have invested if the club had to stay in the National League? No chance. They were attracted by heritage and the potential of bringing the club through football’s pyramid. That option isn’t there in rugby.
There are people out there who want to invest in club rugby but are put off by the way it is run. Bringing back relegation is a no- brainer. Let’s encourage entrepreneurs to get involved in the sport.
The 10-team Premiership is ring-fenced with no promotion and relegation, which must change
7 – Front up to head injury crisis
The former players who are experiencing problems such as early onset dementia is an issue rugby can’t hide away from.
I’d like to see the RFU do far more to support guys like Steve Thompson. They will say they are limited because Thompson is taking them to court. That may be the case, but for me the players deserve better than what they are getting, which is next to nothing.
The RFU needs to get a handle on this. The head injury lawsuit could lead many — adults and children — to stop playing. I don’t think lowering the tackle height has improved safety much either.
Sweeney’s salary increase to £684,000 has received criticism. Personally, I don’t think it is over the top, but you can’t be paid well if you’re not delivering. Sweeney needs to front up and address big issues like head injuries.
The RFU do far more to support the likes of Steve Thompson – the players deserve better
8 – Look after current players and referees
I’ve already mentioned Farrell, but we’ve also seen the impact of social media abuse through the retirement of referees Wayne Barnes and Tom Foley.
Rugby fans consider themselves ‘a cut above’ those in football. This is arrogant and elitist. Some of the behaviour I have seen from rugby fans is no better than football hooliganism. Players and officials being targeted on social media is unacceptable. Fans must take responsibility, but who will lead on this at Twickenham?
The retirement of Wayne Barnes highlighted the abuse that referees face on social media
9 – Continue growth of women’s game
One positive for English rugby has been the women’s game.
It is a huge growth area, especially with the next Women’s World Cup in England. The RFU want to sell out Twickenham for the final and that’s achievable if the good work that has already been put in continues.
The RFU annual report showed the match with France at Twickenham, in front of a world-record crowd for a women’s game of 58,498, earned close to £1million. The women’s game is on the up.
The women’s game is on the up and efforts should be made to ensure that continues
10 – Twickenham is not a pub!
It’s no longer a good experience to go to Twickenham for England matches because of the huge numbers of fans who spend most of the game drinking heavily. It is only a matter of time before we have a serious incident.
The RFU board should sit in the stands, away from the safety of corporate lounges, to experience what it is like. Matchday experience has to be put ahead of commercial gain.
It’s concerning that lots of England fans at Twickenham spend the game drinking heavily
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk