A casual viewer of English rugby might consider this season notable for the World Cup at the start of it, but the really meaty exchanges for the future of the sport in the country will take place off-stage. The Professional Game Agreement, an eight-year deal between the Rugby Football Union and Premier Rugby, is up for renewal in the summer. Negotiations are ongoing.
The whispers have it that hybrid contracts for certain England internationals will be initiated as a means of sharing the players’ salaries between club and country. This is a huge question, particularly if you are a director of rugby trying to weigh up so much uncertainty around finances, recruitment and, simply, the state of mind of your players.
