It is not long before Christmas and the Rugby Football Union’s three wise men are promising gifts. Up to 25 shiny new “enhanced” contracts for Steve Borthwick to offer to a core group of England players over whom the head coach can exert greater control from next season. A revamped Championship of up to 14 teams – to allow for the fast-track return of Wasps, London Irish and Worcester, whose commercial brands are seen as too valuable to let go of – and a player pathway system that will put an end to the stagnation of young talent.
Not before time, Bill Sweeney as chief executive, Conor O’Shea as performance director and Steve Diamond – recruited in an advisory capacity – are outlining their vision for English rugby. A “whole game solution” to a system that is broken, one under which four clubs have gone bust in the last 15 months and one that England reached the World Cup semi-finals in spite of, not because of. There is apparently a “generational” England team coming together and the aim is to be “world leading” across all departments of professional rugby. Optimism abounds.
