MISTAKE TO TAKE BREAK, FEARS ASHTON

CHRIS ASHTON has voiced frustration at English club rugby’s decision to impose a mid-season break.

The former England star hoped the Premiership would take the opportunity to fill the void created by the French Government-imposed two-week suspension of European cup competition.

“It’s not ideal for us as players,” said the Harlequins wing (left). “The last thing teams want is to go two weekends without a game.”

Premiership chiefs ignored calls from the team bosses of Bristol, Exeter and Wasps to bring forward the next two rounds of the top flight. They insist opting for a ‘circuit-breaker’ had the welfare of players, management, staff and match officials uppermost in mind. They say it followed consultation with the clubs and was not imposed on them against their will.

Ashton told the BBC’s Rugby Union Weekly podcast: “We need game-time, we need to keep playing, it just makes the competition healthy and keeps everyone fit and firing. We were due to play anyway so I don’t think it matters what competition it is, if it was European or carrying on in the Premiership.”

On the same programme, Ugo Monye (left), was exasperated by rugby being grounded until seven days before the start of the Six Nations.

The ex-Lions wing concedes the country is in the midst of a national emergency, but said: “I just feel as if rugby has this cannibalistic culture where it does its best to eat itself.

“We thought during this pandemic we’d have far more synergy within rugby, whether it’s unions and owners and stakeholders and tournaments holding hands, working together to try to do their very best to try to navigate what’s a tricky situation.

“But it hasn’t happened.”