Value for money more important than ever
Anyone keeping a close eye on the Premiership clubs, and their announcements about departing and arriving players, can’t fail to spot just how deeply the salary cap reduction is cutting. Anthony Watson spoke last week to the Telegraph about the challenges faced by club players who play for England, following on from similar comments from the likes of Ellis Genge and Kyle Sinckler.
Watson’s point is that if it’s assumed a player will be selected for England, his club is likely to offer him a lower salary. If he then misses out on international selection he loses out in two ways: through his salary, and the lack of international appearance money. He went on to bemoan the lengthy list of very good players who have found themselves surplus to requirements – or rather, unaffordable under the current salary cap rules. Watson admits he can understand the tough business decisions being taken by the clubs, while not liking them on a personal level.
From a fan’s perspective what the clubs are doing is perfectly understandable. ‘Our’ club, whichever it is
that we support, has 24 league games, and a minimum of four European ties, and we naturally want to be fielding the strongest team on each occasion. Fans love to see their Test players turning out, but the demands of international rugby mean that doesn’t happen as often as we’d like: England training, the autumn internationals, the Six Nations, and then the summer tours, all have an impact. In this brave new world where value for money has become increasingly important, it’s hardly a surprise that star players’ salaries are under pressure.
The players, of course, have choices. If money is their prime motivation they can head abroad
higher salaries can be commanded, but that means missing out on England selection. If international caps are what drives them, then they have to stay with a Premiership club, and negotiate the best offer they can get, hoping that their form, and the vagaries of Eddie Jones’s selection decisions work in their favour.
While it’s admirable that some top players are fighting the corner of those who are currently without a club, they shouldn’t forget that they have the option of taking a lower club salary to help an out of work player back into employment!
The injuries that are part and parcel of rugby are complicating matters
even more. Watson was recovering from a ruptured ACL when he received a phone call telling him that Bath weren’t going to make him an offer for a contract extension. Leaving aside his belief that the communication wasn’t handled well, I can think of several instances where clubs have faced similar decisions with high-profile players. It’s a tough fact that a lot of rugby careers are cut short by serious injury, and from a club’s perspective they have to make a balanced decision: will a player who has had a major injury ever get back to being as good as they were before? The hard fact is that if an international player has a history of injuries, then they potenwhere tially become even more of an expensive luxury.
If the injury, the rehab, and the return to action all take place within the contract period then it’s easy – there’s hard evidence available on which to make the decision about a contract offer. If, however, the timing is wrong, and the player is still recovering when it’s time for a new contract, what would any of us do if we were running a club? I suspect that if we’re honest we’d be wary of making an offer, and might build the coming season’s squad accordingly.
The lesson for all players coming out of this is that life after rugby ought to be at the top of their list of priorities, as they are always just one misstep, one tackle, or business decision away from seeing their careers ended. We can all think of promising players who had to retire before their careers had properly taken off, and that isn’t going to change.
It’s a tough environment out there right now, and that’s going to continue for a while, but elite rugby players have a cossetted and privileged existence, and it’s worth remembering just how many of their fellow Brits are having to rely on food banks, and are making difficult decisions about feeding their families or heating their homes.