WHERE FROM - THE STEVE £100M BROWN’S COMES VIRTUOUS CIRCLE

Steve Brown says that talks with rugby people have shown that some do not always fully comprehend the model.

He says: “It is a very simple model, a simple virtuous circle, and it’s been described to us as an almost perfect model – although it’s not always perfect in application.

“Very simply, we play six or seven games a year at Twickenham. We generate all of the income that we do for the RFU – about 85 per cent – from men’s international fifteens.

“We then invest some of that in releasing the players (from clubs), making sure they are ready to compete on the international stage and be as successful as they can be, and we also spend some of that on creating a (player) pipeline.

“When that game is being played out there (at Twickenham), people take an interest. They are either a participant already, or they become one. From that we generate more interest, more people going to rugby clubs, playing the game, starting to get involved in the game.

“If we create the right virtuous circle in there – create enough people in the mix that come through the funnel – then ultimately the top talent emerges again, goes into the pathway system, and becomes England players.

“That in a perfect world is a great system. With England succeeding out there a few times a year with fit and healthy players, it generates all the money that makes the RFU work, including all the investment in the community game.

“That’s the model, but sometimes people only pick parts of it, like how much does the community game get, what goes into the professional game? In fact, it’s a joined-up virtuous circle.”