English Premiership rugby union’s new season gets under way this weekend against a familiar backdrop of a row between the leading clubs and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) over player availability.
The governing body are demanding that all elite England players have an 11-week rest break between the end of the last season and the start of this one. The period appears to cover the British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand where the All Blacks thrashed their visitors 3-0.
Leicester, last season’s runners-up, have named Lions back-row forward and club captain Martin Corry to start against Northampton on Saturday, even though the RFU claim he should not feature until September 17.
”Our understanding has always been that the Lions tour fell outside the EPS [Elite Player Scheme] agreement,” Leicester chairperson Peter Tom said earlier this week.
And a brief RFU statement on Thursday merely added to the confusion. ”The RFU will not be making any immediate comment on the 11-week rest period applying to England players involved in the British and Irish Lions tour.”
It added: ”The RFU will assess the situation on Monday before making any further comment.”
Sale meanwhile are set to field four English Lions in Mark Cueto, sometime Test skipper Jason Robinson, Charlie Hodgson and Andrew Sheridan for Friday’s season opener against Newcastle.
Newcastle chief Rob Andrew, who named fly-half star Jonny Wilkinson among his replacements, said: ”The EPS situation seems to have got itself into a bit of a tangle, and some clubs will open themselves up to future problems or disciplinary action, but that is their decision and I wouldn’t want to comment either way.
”We are not making any promises or hard and fast rules as to when Jonny will come on, or if he will at all. We will just see how the game is going and do what is required.”
Premier Rugby, the umbrella body representing England’s top 12 club, said in a statement on Thursday: ”Several of our clubs have had to revert to the original position — that Lions players are immediately available to play, and that individual decisions will be made in agreement with each player on his match fitness and
general welfare.
”The welfare and fitness of all Lions players, including their England internationals, is of utmost importance to our clubs.”
Reigning champions Wasps, now coached by former Scotland supremo and Lions cornerstone Ian McGeechan, begin the defence of the title against capital rivals Saracens on Saturday as part of a Twickenham double-header which also sees London Irish play English Cup holders Leeds.
Newly-promoted Bristol face Bath on Sunday in a west country derby. – Sapa-AFP