Angry stars reject proposal for 11-month season over welfare fears

sought to assure players over adequate rest periods. He claimed it was unfair to single out the Premiership for extending their remit when players had not objected to a steady rise in international rugby.

RPA chairman Christian Day, who last month said the proposals were ‘scary’ and that strike action is a possibility, is understood to have presented the players’ position to the PGB the following day, alongside RPA rugby director Richard Bryan. The presentation, considered by many to be the most important in the history of the RPA, was made without chief executive Damian Hopley,

We don't want to strike, but this is frightening... How we led way in reporting the players’ oppositiono to extending the domestic season

who is also one of the 10 members of the PGB but was not present at the meeting. Hopley attended the RPA dinner the previous evening where he was pictured at 2.15am before subsequently posting messages on his Twitter account indicating he had lost his dinner jacket and his house keys.

‘Damian’s absence raised plenty of eyebrows,’ said an RPA source. ‘It was arguably one of the most important meetings in the RPA’s history but the chief executive of the organisation was not there.’

Hopley insisted that the key meeting was on May 10 and the PGB had been told he was not able to attend the May 11 meeting. ‘The meeting with the RFU that I missed was just to discuss our position so the RFU know what we’re planning to reveal on Monday,’ he said. ‘Our big meeting was the day before. I had been planning to go but I managed to lose my dinner jacket the night before, after the awards night. It was a disaster.’

Ultimately the PGB, including outgoing RFU chief executive Ian Ritchie, will decide whether to approve the plan. Ritchie said: ‘It was confirmed at the World Council meeting the balance between NH and SH was reaffirmed and agreed and how the balance of fixtures works until 2032 was agreed. Those things are in place, inevitably it is a compromise.

‘Things that need some further work and discussion are around the domestic season and what is the duration of the Six Nations — is it seven weeks or six?’