Biljon: Feels like RFU are trying to grow the divide
JERSEY boss Harvey Biljon has called on the RFU to address funding issues that are ‘dividing’ the sport and make a better attempt to bridge the gap.
Biljon is appealing to the governing body to reverse their decision to cut Tier Two funding with Championship sides receiving just £80,000 from the RFU this season – a staggering reduction of £455,000 per club from two years ago.
Former Wasps and Natal Sharks scrum-half Biljon, who has been at Jersey since 2015, feels the governing body need to stop “growing the divide” between the Premiership and the rest of the English game with the fear that both clubs and prospective players will lose out.
He said: “With the support that is currently given from the RFU we’re never going to bridge a gap. It looks like there is more of an intention to make that gap bigger rather than bridge the current gap, that’s what it feels like.
“The Championship is an invaluable competition, I think it supports the Premiership as well as both the PRO14 and international rugby for players.
“Any rugby supporter that comes to watch a Championship game would be impressed by the standard and the ability of the players out there so I would like to see it supported accordingly.
“This isn’t just about Jersey, this is for all the Championship clubs. I think the promotion thing, the move to 13 teams and all the rest of it, just doesn’t look good.” Biljon believes that potential England internationals will go part-time or quit the game unless things change. He added: “England will not benefit from having just one professional tier of rugby. They are trying to divide the sport between the professional and the community game.
“You need a way to support both and bridge them together. You don’t want potential international players to slip through the net, you need somewhere for them to play.
“You definitely don’t need a set line between the two, it needs to be step-bystep. It’s not my place to make these decisions but those higher up really do need to.”
Jersey chairman Mark Morgan, left, vented his anger about the governing body on Twitter this week. He wrote: “The life-blood is being drained out of all other elements of the game under the RFU’s ownership” and called their approach “shameful”.