International Rugby
International Rugby delivers, directly or indirectly, virtually all the RFU’s revenues. It is therefore essential that England has and maintains a successful national team with the  right structures properly resourced and supported. A successful England team, creating sporting ‘stars’ and role models, is the strongest marketing tool for the professional game, benefiting the Premiership clubs, the Community game and the professional players alike.

Objectives

England to retain the RWC in 2007
214 The success of the England team is essential for the development of the game in  England and for driving forward its commercial revenues at both club and international levels. With the World Class Performance Plan having been put in place in season  2001/02 and having won the RWC 2003 it is considered to be a realistic although challenging objective to retain the World Cup in 2007 with a minimum performance standard of no worse than a semi final place.

England to win two out of three matches against SANZAR nations
215 For England to achieve its objective of retaining the World Cup in 2007, we must continue to beat the SANZAR countries on a regular basis and improve on our ‘away’ performance. We therefore believe that we should set as a further milestone objective, England winning two out of three matches against SANZAR countries. This would entail winning the Autumn SANZAR tests and at least 50% of the away tests played against SANZAR nations.

England to win the Six Nations Championship four times in the Plan period and to win the Grand Slam twice in the Plan period
216 As the RWC happens only every four years it is important to have objectives related to the annual international competition we play in. As the largest rugby playing country we believe that we should win the Six Nations every year, other things being equal. However, there will be years when the strength of other countries or a heavy injury burden affects results. We believe therefore that the objective should be set as winning the Six Nations Championship in four out of the eight Plan years and winning the
Grand Slam twice in the Plan period.

England to win the IRB World Series Sevens at least twice in the Plan period, the Sevens RWC and the Gold medal in the Commonwealth Games
217 Real progress has been made by England since joining the WSS in 2001 with England currently ranked second in the world despite the increased priority Sevens is now being given in all countries. Whilst Sevens is primarily a development tool we believe that it is also necessary to set targets for on-field performance. We should aim to maintain a consistent top three rating and aim to win the IRB WSS twice in the Plan period. In addition it is realistic to target winning the Sevens RWC in 2009 and the Gold Medal in the Commonwealth Games in 2006 or 2010.

England to win the U21 Six Nations Championship three times in the Plan period and the U21 RWC by 2008 and thereafter achieve consistent success at this level
218 The development of key players at this age level is critical. To this end it is necessary for the best players in each age year to receive additional sports science/medicine support and skill development work to reach their full potential. The key yardstick for measurement of success at this level is performance and the percentage of players that go on to achieve a full England cap. As our Academy structure starts to produce we would expect a minimum of 15% of players will reach senior level within six years of representing England in the U21 Six Nations Championship with this rising to 20% from 2008 onwards.

219 A secondary goal is to achieve on-field success and therefore we are setting as an objective for the U21 team to win the Six Nations Championship three times in the Plan period and the U21 RWC (if appropriately scheduled) by 2008 and to achieve no worse than a regular top three finish thereafter.

England U19 to win the U19 RWC by 2007 and thereafter achieve consistent success at this level
220 The RFU’s Schools, Students and Youth Review covered player development at this level at some length and the revised strategies proposed in the Review Report have only started to be implemented in the 2004/05 season. We therefore need to take a longer term view of our development at this age level. In the interim, it is critical that key youngsters who have real senior potential are identified and brought quickly into the Regional and National Academy programmes for individual development work.

221 In order to achieve the objective of creating a production line of senior world class players in every position, the U19 team needs to continue to improve. The success of the U19 programme will be measured by the production of truly world class athletes and their performance in the U19 RWC tournament. A secondary objective is to create a winning culture and it is therefore appropriate to set the U19 team an objective of winning the U19 RWC by 2007 and achieve no worse than a regular top three finish thereafter.

England to play no more than 11 test matches each year
222 With a number of major Unions currently experiencing financial difficulties, a trend has developed for additional international matches to be arranged. In order to ensure that we have a stable structured season it is important to set a limit on the maximum number of test matches England will play in any one year and we are proposing that this be set at 11.

To secure a re-vamp of the international tours schedule to achieve a commercially viable international match programme
223 Whilst progress has been made recently in improving the viability of the tours schedule, we continue to believe it needs to be put on a properly commercial basis, separating out the Tier 1 countries from the developing or Tier 2 nations. The Tier 1 countries could then return to a traditional touring format where two or three tests would be played in one country thereby generating a ‘series’ that would maximise TV, sponsorship and other commercial revenues. The Tier 2 countries needs would be met through the Strategic Development Agreement concept set out elsewhere in this Plan supported by a Tier 2 touring schedule.

To have a minimum of four referees on the IRB ‘A’ and ‘B’ panels by 2006/07 and maintain this number throughout the Plan period
224 Because of the policy being followed by the IRB, it is extremely unlikely that any Union will have more than four referees on each of the international lists at any one time. For England to maintain its pre-eminent position within the IRB officiating panels we need to have a minimum of four English qualified referees on the ‘A’ and ‘B’ panels and have an Elite Referee development programme in place to ensure a steady stream of replacements for those currently on the panels. The recruitment of further talented full
time referees will be critical to achieving and sustaining this objective.

To secure an Integrated Global Season to minimise conflicts between International and Club competitions
225 Achieving a reduction in the number of conflicts between the International and Club games would deliver major improvements to both the RFU and PRL as well as for the global game. The issues are, however, complex and there are no simple solutions, particularly with the strength of the club game in England and France. The IRB have now appointed Deloitte as independent consultants and they have produced an initial report for the IRB setting out a range of options for further consultation. The RFU must play an active and leading part in the debate both within the Six Nations and the IRB.

Strategies and Plans
Maintain a competitive international match structure for the England team so that at least 60% of our matches are against the top five countries
226 To achieve the Elite objectives of this Plan, it is essential that England has and maintains a competitive international match structure. Currently our international programme covers three autumn internationals, the Six Nations Championship and the summer tours. This programme would deliver to England in the six non-RWC years of the Plan, a programme of around 50% of matches falling in this category This is below the above objective level of 60% requiring further lobbying/negotiating with the IRB Tours Committee on the revised Tours schedule.

Click here to see the current proposed IRB Tours Schedule

227 Not only is the quality of opposition important but the timing of those matches is equally critical. We understand the need for reciprocity amongst nations but we also need to ensure that we do not undertake long, arduous tours in the summers following major events such as the RWC. This is when it is critical that our senior players are given appropriate rest and recovery to ensure they are in peak condition for the following season.

The Six Nations Championship
228 The Six Nations have recently successfully concluded discussions over a new Constitution for the Six Nations Championship which replaces the old ‘Accord’. Under the terms of the new Constitution, the role of the Six Nations Committee has been defined as follows:

i) To manage, administer and control the Six Nations Championship;
ii) To make collective representations to the IRB and/or FIRA;
iii) Take a lead in structuring and co-ordinating the elite rugby season in the Northern hemisphere;
iv) Co-ordinating the test matches of the Six Nations countries in the autumn window;
v) Protecting the integrity, independence and income of the Six Nations;
vi) Respecting the integrity and sovereignty of each Union.

229 It is important that, following agreement on the new Constitution, the Six Nations Committee focuses on the Championship and its future development. The new BBC TV agreement at £29m p.a. has secured an important improvement in the Six Nations central revenues from 2005/2006 onwards, and recent negotiations have resulted in significant improvements in the French and Italian TV values. These developments put the Six Nations Championship on a firm financial footing with all commercial issues between the partners now having been resolved satisfactorily.

230 The critical issue of revenue apportionment has now been settled by the Six Nations in the new Constitution on a fair and equitable basis. The new arrangements come into effect in 2005/06 and are as follows:

• Proportion of revenue to be shared equally - 75%
• Proportion of revenue apportioned by clubs - 10%
• England 4.0%
• France 3.5%
• Wales 0.625%
• Scotland 0.625%
• Ireland 0.625%
• Italy 0.625%
• Proportion of revenue apportioned by place - 15%
• First place 4.5%
• Second place 3.5%
• Third place 2.5%
• Fourth place 2.0%
• Fifth place 1.5%
• Sixth place 1.0%

In addition, there is a provision for the winner of the Grand Slam to be given an additional 1% which will be taken from the places below. Finally, Italy has been given transitional arrangements where it builds up to a full equal share over 3 years as follows: 67.5% in 2003/04, 75% in 2004/05 and 100% in 2005/06.

The ‘A’ Team
231 It is clear that our focus will, in future, be on the National Academy group as the World Class Performance programme develops. To support this group the ‘A’ team will need to develop into an ‘Emerging England’ team which will become increasingly more important in the development of future world class athletes. With the National Academy building on the work of the club based regional academies, this tightly focused group will need a competitive structure to continually challenge them beyond regular domestic and international age group competition. This will include playing regularly against Six Nations teams, visiting Unions’ teams, other developing Unions’ senior teams and in the Churchill Cup competition against USA and Canada. Senior competitive rugby at the right level will be crucial for the development of this group.

232 Creation of this Emerging England team will also align with the RFU policy on global development. Rather than the senior England team playing tours and tests against  developing countries, the Emerging England team could assume this responsibility. In a way this is already happening already. The England squad for the Churchill Cup is an emerging talent squad. For the future - with the possible creation of a two tier IRB tours structure - the Emerging England team could have regular summer tour commitments to play matches with ‘second tier’ countries.

233 We believe that changes in the ‘A’ team philosophy are required to maximise the performance of the England EPS. One possibility is for the programme for an Emerging England team to be based around the Churchill Cup and summer tours augmented with occasional matches in the autumn against touring teams should the IRB revert to a traditional tours concept for the new IRB tours schedule for 2005 onwards. This structure of matches would fit naturally into the National Academy programme and offset any possible reduction of the ‘A’ team matches in the Six Nations Championship due to withdrawals by other countries. The aim is to have six matches each year, four during the season and two in the Churchill Cup.

234 Should the number of Six Nations ‘A’ team matches be reduced, it may be  preferable either to move the U21 matches out of the Six Nations playing window into the autumn or to play them in a more condensed format, possibly over a three week period, as is explored later in this Plan. This would enable the Premiership to play through the Six Nations Championship, delivering up another five possible weekends to the season. This would help in solving one of the real problems in the current structure of the club season – not enough weekends and the insufficient number of home games  between February and May.

The Sevens Team
235 The IOC has advised the IRB that Sevens Rugby is on the short-list for inclusion in the 2012 Olympic programme. Whilst this may cause some issues for the Home Countries, inclusion in the Olympic Games programme would mean a significant boost for rugby’s developing nations. Olympic inclusion, added to the successful Commonwealth Games competition, would mean that Sevens Rugby could become a valuable means of accessing greater public funding and it could also provide an effective vehicle for the development of the game world wide, particularly in other major sporting nations - USA, Germany, China, Korea and Japan.

236 The Home Countries of England, Scotland and Wales will have to agree a structure for Olympic participation. There are three options:

i) compete in the IRB WSS as Home Countries, then come together to select an Olympic team later on in the four year cycle; or
ii) compete in the IRB WSS and Olympics as Great Britain; or
iii) compete as Great Britain during Olympic years (i.e. the year of the IRB WSS prior to the Olympic Games).

To maximise Olympic performance option ii) above would be the most optimal, followed by iii); however, option i) is the most likely due to Home Country participation in the Commonwealth Games and WSS.

237 A key part of the Plan to deliver world class elite players is to use Sevens Rugby to develop young elite talent. Sevens can provide an effective development tool for the  
fifteen-a-side game and offer its own commercial benefits. Scheduling aside, it is clear that for certain players Sevens can provide a more relaxed yet competitive environment that challenges the up and coming player in terms of skill reproduction under pressure, game awareness and the development of effective attacking and defence  strategies and techniques within space.

238 In reviewing the WSS last year, the IRB have determined that eight tournaments will comprise the playing programme in Dubai, South Africa, New Zealand, USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, France and England and that key host nations will form a steering group to input into the running of the World Series.

239 When the Olympic decision is known, a decision will be made on the establishment of a JV for England Sevens Rugby. If it is decided to proceed, an agreed operational plan will be produced for England Sevens Rugby with the aim of making it a commercial and financial success within three years of its start up. In the meantime England will continue to use the WSS to develop future England players based around a quality core group of key Sevens specialists.

The U21s Team

240 There is a current conflict for us with the timing of the U21 RWC in June each year. Our regional and National Academy programmes are based on the principles of long term athlete development which has a double periodised competition schedule. Due to the structure of our domestic season, the months of June, July and August are for recovery, training and preparation. We should not be exposing our athletes to any competitions during this time particularly the U21 RWC.

241 The RFU has been successful in lobbying both the Six Nations and the SANZAR Unions to convince the IRB that the U21 RWC is more appropriately held every other year. This new cycle will commence in 2006 to ensure that the U21 RWC does not clash with the RWC. In addition, the IRB has agreed that the timing of the U21 RWC should be determined by the Host Union. This is a major step forward in improving the equity between the two hemispheres.

242 We would anticipate that the Northern Hemisphere Unions would play the tournament in the autumn (October/November) which would fit well with our principles of long term athlete development. This would allow conditioning and development work to be undertaken by our young players in the summer months at least every other year.

243 We may, however, have to re-evaluate where the U21 programme fits into our Elite Player Development hierarchy if the Premiership continue to play through the Six Nations window. It could well be argued that for individual development some players in this age group would be better off playing against adult players in the Premiership. This will need to be reviewed as and when the structure of the season is decided

The U19s Team

244 Given our September school year and the demands placed on our most talented U18 players in terms of their study it could be argued that an U19 squad may never be right for England. However, this age group is currently less affected by the Premiership to any significant extent and individual development work is much easier to plan and deliver

245 We will implement the recommendations from the Schools, Students and Youth Review. This will see the introduction of a three year development programme for the best 35-40 youngsters aged 16 to 19 overseen by a National Player Development Manager. The emphasis will be on individual development, supported by appropriate competitive structures at both domestic and international levels. Participation in the U19 Six Nations and the U19 RWC tournament should continue.

Elite Referee Development
246 It is an old adage but true that without referees there is no game. In the professional era this could be amended to add that without high standards and consistency of refereeing there is no future for professional rugby. As with the development of the professional game generally, we are at a half way house in terms of elite referee development. We have now put in place an Elite Match Officials programme designed to make the RFU world leaders in refereeing, touch judging and assessing. The objectives are for England to move from the current position of having two referees on the IRB list to four by 2006/07 and to be a world leader in terms of touch judging and assessing.

247 Key to improving the standards, consistency and reliability of officiating is to have full time referees (FTRs) operating at International, European and Premiership levels. However, it must not be overlooked that the majority of the match officials in the Elite Referee unit are not full time and work for fees. The RFU should aim, working in collaboration with PRL, to increase the number of FTRs each year over the Plan period as finances allow and talent emerges.

248 In order to achieve an increasing number of FTRs each year, a talent identification programme will be put in place and a fast-track scheme will be created to progress those with talent quickly through the system. It is anticipated that this fast-track scheme will be closely aligned to the Regional Academy programme so that players who may not be progressing on the pitch can consider another opportunity to be involved in the elite game via refereeing.

249 FTRs by themselves will not produce consistent world class performances. The coaching and management of the FTRs programme is essential. We plan to grow the elite referee management team to five to ensure our FTRs are given the right amount of individual coaching and advice to optimise their development and ultimately perform with distinction for the Premiership and on the world stage. To ensure the involvement of  PRL, the PRL Rugby Manager attends regular meetings of the Elite Referees Unit.

250 In order to maintain the highest levels of performance from our FTRs, we will develop a systematic fitness programme with an emphasis on structured pre-season and in season training and fitness assessments. This will also include excellent medical care and referee education on priority topics such as hydration, rest and recovery.

Elite Coach Development
251 The Elite Coaching programme sets out for England to become a world leader in Elite Coaching by 2007/08. The aim is to prepare Elite Coaches to operate effectively to a World Class standard in both the international elite environment and in the domestic elite environment of the Premiership. The target groups from which elite coaches will be developed are: the England Coaching teams, National Academy Coaches, Premiership Coaches, Directors of Rugby, Regional Academy Managers and a small group of identified ex-players who have potential to become World Class coaches.

252 A key goal of the Elite Coaching programme will be to provide a clear career development pathway for all coaches and to enable elite clubs and England representative sides to introduce long term succession planning. The programme will also provide a pipeline of quality coaches coming through to fill the key posts of England, Emerging England, Sevens, U21 and U19 England teams. The objective should be that future England Head Coaches should have achieved successful experience in a range of coaching environments including the Premiership and England representative teams.

Elite Player Development

To give the England team every opportunity to win the RWC and for the Premiership clubs to achieve success in the Heineken Cup, we need to develop the skill base and mental/physical conditioning of our Elite players whilst providing proper medical care to avoid injuries and aid rehabilitation.

The key to the future aspirations of our national teams is to ensure our Elite players are managed effectively. Without a sensible season structure and carefully prioritised playing programme we cannot expect to meet both our International and Elite Club Rugby objectives.

Working in partnership with our Premiership Clubs is essential to develop the right playing structure to allow optimal development of our Elite players. There is a strong desire on all sides to achieve an enhanced programme and we must grasp this opportunity to create a stable Elite environment where our Elite players can prosper and our teams succeed at International and Club level.

Objectives

To maintain the four year Elite Player Squad (EPS) programme to maximise the performance of England’s elite players over a World Cup cycle

253 Careful development and management of our top players is vital to the achievement of England Rugby’s joint objectives of having a successful England team and a viable and attractive Premiership competition. An EPS of 50-60 players will be identified annually and be managed by the RFU Performance Director. The LFA requires that an annual programme be agreed for these players. We believe this is not sufficient for planning purposes and agreement has now been reached on a rolling four year programme to take into account the World Cup cycle. The first year of the programme would be in a detailed plan format for that year with the programme for the other three years on a ‘topline’ level only.

254 The detailed plan for the first year will include, for each EPS athlete, an annual programme jointly planned by his respective England coach and agreed with his club Director of Rugby prior to the commencement of the season in question. The EPS programme includes the release days for England match preparation, taking into account the cycle of RWCs as well as the competitive programme for each player, the sport science programme (fitness, psychological, strength and conditioning, nutrition), medical management and his skill development programme. A player tracking and monitoring database is being developed to make the management of this information more efficient. 

255 It is also vital for player development that we are speaking to players with one voice to ensure messages are clear and that there is only one individual development plan for each EPS athlete. Once committed, all parties must sign up to the implementation of the plan for the sake of the individual player. This will mean continued and constructive dialogue between England and Premiership coaches and management staff. Seek to  reduce the limit on the number of games per Senior EPS player from 32 currently to 28 by 2005/06

256 The key resource for success at both international and club level are the players. This resource needs as much care and maintenance as any other prime asset. The RFU and PRL will draw up a risk management plan to address the injury risk arising from playing the game. We are also seeking to establish more scientific information on the issue of ‘player burnout’. There is particular concern regarding the senior EPS players who are required to play in all tests, the RWC and the Lions tours in addition to all major European and Guinness club matches. The intensity of this playing programme requires consideration to be given, as part of the agreed EPS Programme review process, to reducing the maximum number of games that these senior EPS players play from 32 in the LFA to a target of, say, 28 by 2005/06 season. This target should be amended as better scientific information becomes available.

257 The England Rugby injury audit has revealed that, on average, a player is incapacitated by injury for 19 days for every 8 matches played. A playing programme of 32 matches could therefore cause a player to be injured for 76 days. PRL clubs can expect 9 players out of a squad of 38 to be unavailable for playing or training at any one time. The impact on the EPS is obvious. Consequently we will seek to adjust match limit targets from time to time as new information becomes available.

Secure the agreement of PRL for the RFU to have primary financial,  management and contractual responsibility for the senior EPS players

258 It is accepted that any reduction in the number of club games played by the senior EPS players has a negative effect on the finances of PRL clubs. On the other hand there would be significant benefits to the England team and the players involved through  prolonging their playing careers. It is therefore proposed that the RFU should seek primary financial, management and contractual responsibility for the senior EPS players (the top 25-30) in consultation with PRL and the PRA. Any change will require a variation of the LFA to be agreed.

To maintain a structured 11 weeks’ unbroken rest and preparation period for EPS players

259 A further element in the care and maintenance of the player resource is to seek to secure that a clear, protected minimum rest and preparation period of 11 weeks in a block is planned into the annual EPS programmes and the season structure. This impacts mostly on international players who are involved in summer tours or tournaments but their preparation for the up-coming season is vital.

To maintain and improve the EQP Compensation Scheme to assist the development of English qualified players

260 An EQP compensation scheme has been agreed with PRL commencing in the 2004/05 season. The success of this scheme needs careful monitoring but it is  fundamental to the RFU’s provision of grant funding to PRL under the LFA that EQPs are developed in the right numbers. It should be the RFU’s objective to switch all RFU grant funding into the scheme during the Plan period. This would require a variation of the LFA to be agreed

To maintain a National and Regional Academy structure for the identification and development of potential elite English athletes

261 A three-tiered Academy system has been created to enhance the individual development of talented athletes in England. Under the guidance of the Performance Director, this system is aimed at producing a conveyer belt of world class players to the England senior squad and the Premiership clubs. The three tiers of development are:

a) National Academy (any age): up to 50 athletes identified annually who have the potential to be England Senior players. Emphasis is on quality not quantity;

b) Regional Academy (16-24 yrs): 14 regional sites where up to 200 athletes have individual programmes monitored by full time Academy Managers and Assistant Managers;

c) England Player Development Centres (EPDCs) (14-18 yrs): Linked to the Regional Academies, the EPDCs give school or club based youngsters expert coaching as near to home as possible.

Below these three tiers, coach education for coaches of 11-16 year olds who might graduate into the EPDCs is vital, particularly in the area of physical conditioning where long term athlete development principles apply. This window of opportunity is unique and currently being missed.

To ensure that EPAS is fully deployed in all Academies and Premiership clubs

262 The EPAS system has been developed to allow for the tracking and monitoring of all aspects of development for every athlete within the structure from county development squad, through the Regional and National Academies to the EPS. It will also assist in facilitating the placement of those athletes who will leave the structure for playing careers outside the professional game. This must now be fully resourced to ensure all stakeholders will use the system. Connectivity and an off-line facility remain major issues to be resolved.

Strategies and Plans

The Elite Player Squad (‘EPS’) Programme

263 The EPS programme sets out to identify 50 - 60 athletes who will have their annual programmes jointly planned and managed by their Club Director of Rugby and their respective England Coach. These programmes will be drawn up in detail for one season ahead. The programmes for the following three seasons will be in ‘top line’ form only. The rolling four year plan will be agreed annually with club Directors of Rugby just prior to the new season in July/August. The aim is for these athletes to work from one agreed annual programme for competition, sport science, medical management and skill development.

264 The EPS will be made up of a Senior Squad of up to 40 players, the top end of the National Academy (up to 15 players) and selected England Sevens players. These numbers will need to be reviewed in light of the England Rugby injury audit. The EPS programme will be reviewed annually to assess its effectiveness and if necessary agree any changes to these numbers in the lead up to 2007. We would like to have 20 EPS blocked training days before international match sequences each year plus a four day summer camp. The current agreement with PRL gives the following training release days:

2004/05 - 16 days
2005/06 - 16 days
2006/07 - 16 days

265 EPS players will be subject to a maximum number of fully competitive matches that they can play each year. This number may change over the Plan period as covered elsewhere in this Plan and should be reviewed as a result of data captured by the Injury Audit process. For the 2004/05 season the number is fixed at 32, split into 22 club games and 10 internationals. It is understood that if a player is not selected for all ten internationals then he is able to make up any shortfall with additional club matches. A ‘full-match’ is defined as one where an athlete plays for more than 50% of the game. This definition needs to be reviewed with PRL as we must work towards the principle that ‘going on to the pitch’ counts as one match.

266 The LFA also stipulates that there should be a minimum 11 weeks unbroken rest and preparation period before each season. Each EPS player’s 11 weeks will commence immediately following his last competitive match in the season in question. It is recognised that under our current competition structures the 11 weeks is likely to impact on EPS player availability at the front end of the club season. This is a critical issue if we are to ensure our most valuable assets, the elite players, are able to have adequate rest and preparation for each season. We should be moving to increase this period to 14 weeks for the senior EPS players when the structure of the season and the economics of Premier Rugby permit.

267 Fitness, nutrition, strength and conditioning programmes will be agreed for all EPS players and National Academy athletes. This is monitored by the National Fitness Advisor in consultation with PRL club Directors of Rugby. The key is to have one integrated programme that takes into account the elite players club and international programmes in order maximise performance at both these levels.

268 Agreement has now been reached with PRL clubs on a Medical Protocol that sets out a joint management process for medical care for all EPS athletes and the National Academy. This is based on agreed protocols with a seamless information system and it includes an efficient payment system and procedures. Agreement has also been reached between the RFU and PRL on a Rest and Recovery Policy which sets out the minimum period of time required between games under various conditions. When evaluated, this policy will need to be included in the Premiership regulations.

Reducing the Maximum Number of Games for senior EPS players
269 The recently agreed four year EPS programme sets a limit of 32 ‘full matches’ per year for EPS players. This limit, however, excludes club friendly matches, Guinness ‘A’
league matches and the England v Barbarians match. In addition, the Powergen final, Guinness Championship final, the Guinness Wildcard final, the Heineken Final and the Parker Pen final are collectively rated as one ‘full match’. Moreover, in RWC year, the three Warm Up matches plus the seven matches in the RWC are collectively rated as three ‘full matches’. The actual limit can therefore be stretched to 35 matches and, in RWC years, 42 matches. Moreover this single limit for all EPS players does not take into account the particular problems faced by the senior EPS players who will play in all test matches and major club matches. The physical and mental intensity of the test matches and major club matches merits special attention.

270 It is accepted that for most professional club players, playing one match per week with a three month off season is broadly acceptable although research into burnout indicates that a squad rotation system allowing breaks every five or six weeks enhances performance. The senior EPS players whose match profile means that they move consistently between club competitions and England duty are particularly prone to burnout. The combination of physical and mental intensity involved in the majority of matches that this group plays requires us to give them special consideration. The results of our two year injury audit have now been tabled and are being evaluated. A research study commissioned by the PRA in partnership with the RFU and PRL to establish a better scientific understanding of ‘burnout’ is underway.

271 We believe that a separate limit in terms of number of games needs to be set for the top 25-30 EPS players due to the different nature of their playing programme. This limit should be a maximum of 28 games with no game grouping. This reduced limit should be introduced no later than season 2005/06 if any beneficial effects are to be felt for the RWC in 2007.

272 What is equally important to the number of matches is the sequence of games that is played. We need to work with our Premiership clubs toward a playing programme that allows one match off in every six weeks of the season to ensure players are given appropriate recovery time in such a long season. This will result in better week in and week out performances in the Premiership and with England. Such a programme will also assist in extending the playing careers of the EPS players. This sort of intervention should be trialled as part of the player burnout research project along with other  education orientated interventions.

273 It is accepted that this reduced limit for the senior EPS players may have some  adverse economic impact on the Club game. It is therefore proposed that the contractual position of these players be reviewed with the RFU taking primary financial and contractual responsibility for these players with the clubs compensating the RFU for the number of games that the players actually play for their clubs. Implementation of this proposal would need the agreement of PRL under the terms of the LFA.

The National and Regional Academies Programme

274 The Academy programme is an athlete-centred development programme for individuals aimed at producing a conveyer belt of world class rugby players to the England senior squad. The Academy programme has three levels; the National Academy, the Regional Academies and the England Player Development Centres. The function of each is set out in the following paragraphs.

275 The National Academy is a two tiered programme that concentrates on the development of players who could make the England Senior Squad in the next one to three years. It is envisaged that there will be up to 50 athletes in two levels; Senior National Academy and Junior National Academy. The National Academy Manager will work with Directors of Rugby to add value to the athletes’ training in the club environment as well as coming together for some centralised programme sessions on agreed EPS training days.

276 The Senior National Academy will train on EPS days either with the EPS or at a separate venue under the supervision of the National Academy Manager. The Junior National Academy will train primarily in the summer and during school holidays with the England U19 programme aligning itself as and when appropriate.

277 The Regional Academies will deliver a national programme on a regional basis aimed at talented athletes who are aged, in the main, between 16 and 24 and who  possess the necessary ability to progress to England representative levels. This  programme is based around the Premiership clubs but it is recognised that other sites will be necessary to effectively cover all areas of the country. We will consistently monitor athlete numbers to ensure all Regional Academy athletes have true England potential. We would not expect to have more than 200 athletes in the programme at this level at any one time.

278 The England Player Development Centres (EPDCs) will deliver a programme aimed at athletes aged between 14 and 18 and who have been identified at CB/County level. To date 51 sites have been accredited around the country where the first phase of talent identification and skill development work takes place. These sites are satellites of the main Regional Academy sites and are serviced by the Regional Academy Managers and Assistant Managers working in conjunction with the Regional Rugby Development Managers and the CBRDPs. It is envisaged that, eventually, up to 1,500 athletes will be in the EPDC programme at any one time. Selected athletes will be invited to attend elite player development groups for further assessment and development, including possible referral to the Regional Academy programme.

To put in place effective individual development programmes for all Regional Academy athletes
279 Selection criteria for the first cohort of athletes showed some variation from Academy to Academy. These criteria will be continuously reviewed to ensure greater consistency. Academy Managers will broker partnerships with appropriate educational institutions with the aim of delivering to the athletes rugby related activities for three hours each day and the ability to play in one appropriate competitive match per week. Athletes will be tested against proven assessment protocols. The Elite Support section of the Performance Department, in conjunction with the English Institute of Sport, has designed fitness protocols which have been set at World Class standards. To produce an  appropriate programme of domestic competitions that supports the development of Academy athletes

280 The investment of time and resource will see Academy athletes developing at an accelerated rate. As part of this development there will be a need for them to play in matches that both extend them and reflect their experience, as recommended in the Schools, Students and Youth Review. A review group consisting of Academy staff, club professionals and national coaches will design the appropriate playing structures to support the Academy programme underneath the Premiership.

Post Playing Careers Training and Tuition for Elite players
281 In partnership with PRL and PRA we need to set up in-career training programmes for all Elite players to ensure that they are not lost to the game at the end of their playing days and are prepared to take on an active role within either the RFU or the Premier Clubs. Courses should be developed to deliver skills in the area of coaching, refereeing, club or team management, administration, PR and the media. The PRA has proposed a partnership between the RFU, PRA, PRL, UKSI and EIS to develop ‘Performance Lifestyle’ and ‘Kick Start’ programmes under a National Coordinator with three  supporting advisers. This proposal is being progressed by the PRA through England Rugby. The national co-ordinator has been appointed with two additional advisers to be appointed in time for the 2005/06 season.

Elite Club Rugby

The agreement between the RFU and Premier Rugby (known as the LFA), signed in July 2001, brought a much needed period of stability to the Elite game. It provided a platform to develop successful National teams and a substantial increase in funding to Premiership Clubs. Under the terms of the LFA, Elite Club rugby is the responsibility of ERL. The RFU’s Policy position for the development of Elite Club rugby as a 50% shareholder in ERL is set out in this section.

Objectives

To secure agreement with PRL on an ‘LFA Mk II’ to resolve the outstanding ‘Club v Country’ issues
282 The LFA can be terminated by either party on the giving of 12 months notice expiring no earlier than June 2009. It would be beneficial to all parties if agreement on an LFA Mk II could be secured well in advance of that date. Moreover there are a number of critical issues in the ‘Club v Country’ area that need resolution if England are to have any chance of retaining the World Cup in 2007 and for Elite Club rugby to continue to grow and prosper.

To establish professional Club rugby as England’s second most popular team sport after Soccer
283 With the success of the England team in RWC 2003 and the continued growth in attendances at Guinness Premiership matches together with the growth in television audiences for rugby union, it is a reasonable objective to target professional rugby union as becoming and remaining England’s second most popular team sport.

To provide the environment for professional club rugby to be financially successful
284 The RFU’s role is to ensure that there is stability and certainty throughout the game, thereby creating the climate for the whole game to grow and prosper. England’s continued success at international level is important to attract commercial partners, broadcasters and spectators to professional rugby at both club and international levels. The RFU will continue its investment in professional club rugby and the development of EQPs.

To assist PRL in developing an effective Stadium Development programme
285 The growth in attendances at Premiership matches has led to many stadia now operating at or near capacity levels. The investment required to raise capacity levels is potentially large (c.£60-100m) and creative ways of raising finance are necessary. The RFU is working with PRL and the RFL on a lobbying programme with Government and a funding request has been included in the RFU’s Whole Sport Plan submitted to Sport
England to establish a Rugby Development Foundation for this purpose.

A Premiership Club to secure at least one semi-final place in the Heineken Cup each year and to win the Heineken Cup in four of the eight Plan years
286 England are entitled to five places in the European Cup and a sixth if we have one semi-finalist in the preceding year. It is therefore of significant commercial importance that we secure a semi-final place each year. In terms of our playing success we should also set ourselves an objective of winning the European Cup in four out of the eight Plan years.

Increase the number of English Qualified Head Coaches/DoRs in Premier Rugby clubs to 70% by the end of the Plan period
287 The influx of foreign coaches to English rugby over the last four years has, overall, been beneficial. Currently, 43% of Premiership coaches are foreign. However, our elite coach development programme is aimed at producing an increasing supply of skilled English qualified elite coaches. The RFU recognises that it has no control over appointments in PRL clubs but that we should set ourselves an objective to produce sufficient high quality English qualified elite coaches capable of fulfilling the Head Coach and/or Director of Rugby position in most Premiership Clubs. It is a reasonable target to aim at 70% of all coaching positions to be filled by English qualified coaches by the end of the Plan period.

To secure the agreement of PRL to licence all Premiership coaches by season 2007/08
288 We need to ensure a quality supply of developed elite coaches for Premiership clubs via a systematic approach to coach excellence and enrichment. A small group who aspire to become match and specialist coaches within the professional game will be identified and developed by the Head of Elite Coach Development. Fast-track courses have been developed and are available to appropriate candidates.

289 Quality assurance with elite programmes is essential to ensure ongoing consistency and the maintenance of best practice. To this end, it is planned to develop a regulated licensing scheme, with the agreement and support of PRL, for those operating in the Premiership structure and above. It is envisaged that by season 2005/06 all coaches operating in the Premiership will be qualified to Level 3 or above. Overseas coaches
should have a recognised equivalent qualification to be able to work in the Premiership for season 2006/07 and beyond. This would then lead to the development of a Premiership Licence which coaches would need to achieve and maintain in order to practice in the Premiership.

To improve the quality and consistency of Elite refereeing at club matches by
having eight Full Time Referees by the end of the Plan period
290 The quality of the Premiership product being offered to customers is fundamental and a significant element has to be the delivery of quality and consistent officiating. Whilst significant improvements have been made in this respect continued investment is required in Elite Referee development. Part of this investment should be in the contracting of  further FTRs. We should plan to increase the number of contracted full time referees to eight by the 2007/08 season. These additions should be jointly funded by the RFU and PRL.

Strategies and Plans

The negotiation of an LFA Mk II

291 One of the key objectives in Elite Rugby is to secure an agreement on an ‘LFA Mk II’ prior to the end of the current agreement in June 2009. To achieve this the RFU Management Board has proposed establishing a Task Group, to be chaired by the Chairman of the Management Board and made up of RFU, PRL and FDR representatives. This process has recently started with the objective of securing agreement on the ‘Wish List’ of key issues prior to the start of the 2005/06 season.

292 The perceived ‘Wish List’ position for each of the three stakeholders is summarised here. One of the first tasks of the Task Group would be to verify, add to or vary this ‘Wish List’ matrix based on the actual current position of the parties. As would be expected, any ‘Wish List’ for each of the stakeholders contains conflicting requirements. It is the identification of possible solutions to these conflicts that the appointed Task Group needs to address. Ultimately the RFU Council and the Boards of the respective bodies will need to consider whatever ‘package’ emerges from the Task Group’s work and whether it is acceptable to each stakeholder.

The Heineken Cup
293 The Heineken Cup has successfully established itself as the premier Elite clubs competition in the Northern Hemisphere and now provides a level of competition that bridges the gap between regular club rugby and international rugby. We believe that continuity is now important and, barring unexpected events, no purpose is served by proposing any changes to the structure of the Heineken Cup at this time. We believe that the primary objective for ERC should now be to drive forwards the commercial values of the competition. In this context the RFU and PRL have agreed to seek to claw back some commercial rights from the ERC Pools stage to the participant clubs.

The Guinness Premiership
294 The Guinness Premiership has grown into a highly successful and marketable elite rugby product. Media interest, television audiences, crowd attendances and playing standards have all improved significantly. The RFU will continue to work with PRL to maintain the commercial growth of the Premiership and to find ways of further improving the product.

The ERC Challenge Cup
295 This competition has developed from a conventional pool based system to a seeded knockout system. The number of teams and countries participating has been increased with the seeding system keeping the elite teams apart in the first two rounds. It is too early to determine whether this change in the structure of the competition to a seeded knockout system has been beneficial or not. For the purposes of this Plan, however, we have assumed that the current system remains in place for the whole period of the Plan.

296 The primary purpose of the ERC Challenge Cup is to provide a second elite competition for all shareholder Unions in ERC that will improve playing standards and  provide competitive matches for those clubs not involved in the Heineken Cup. It is also essential that the competition becomes financially viable and commercially attractive, generating net revenue for participating clubs. This can only be achieved in the medium term, we believe, by the Cup becoming a competition for elite clubs only. This in turn could only be achieved by the creation of a third ERC competition for developing  countries.

The Powergen Cup
297 The Powergen Cup is a major and important commercial property of both the Elite and Community games with both financially benefiting from its surpluses. However, in terms of importance to PRL it ranks third to the Guinness Premiership and the Heineken Cup. Moreover, it has been agreed that the scheduling of the Powergen Cup should take second place to the Guinness Premiership, subject to TV and sponsor requirements.

298 There are concerns within PRL over declining attendances (when compared to ZP matches) at Premiership clubs for this competition. Clubs have found it difficult to get supporters to pay additional money over and above their season tickets for attending these matches. In addition, the value of the TV and sponsorship rights is currently being tested in the market place as part of current contract renewal negotiations. As a result we believe that consideration needs to be given to improving the attractiveness of the competition and in this respect the RFU has agreed with PRL to consider various possibilities such as including the four Welsh Districts in the competition.

299 Any developments would need to provide a solution for the whole game and not  just the Premiership clubs. This means that the interests of the four teams qualifying from
the earlier rounds of the Powergen Cup would need to be protected both from a playing and financial point of view. We would also want to maintain the successful Club ‘finals day’ event which brings the Elite and Community games together on one day at Twickenham. Any developments in this area should only be considered once the RFU Task Group (proposed in paragraphs 76 - 78) on the future development of the RFU Cup competitions has reported.

Matches against Autumn Tourists
300 As has been set out earlier in this Plan, it is RFU policy to secure a return to a more traditional tours format for the eight Foundation Unions for both incoming autumn tours and outgoing summer tours. In terms of the autumn tours this could require a touring country to play a minimum of two tests and two other mid-week matches in England. In the event that we have a second touring country, this country could also be required to play a mid-week match in addition to a test match at Twickenham. 

301 As the Premiership clubs play through the autumn internationals, we have agreed with PRL that England will not play ‘A’ team matches in that period. However, we should discuss with PRL the possibility of playing two ‘A’ team games before the Autumn  Internationals over, say a ten day period, against the visiting Southern Hemisphere Unions. Another option to explore is that we take the opportunity of taking the game ‘out to the country’ with the resulting three mid-week matches being played against Premiership clubs. As these matches would, in the main, be against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, they would provide major marketing opportunities for the game and should be capable of generating gates of c40,000. They would also be a major boost for rugby in the regions with the great international rugby teams returning to the regions, providing excellent promotional opportunities for schools and youth rugby.

The British Challenge Shield
302 Depending on developments with the Powergen Cup competition, there may be an opportunity to hold a pre-season fixture between the Premiership Champions and the Celtic League Champions for the British Challenge Shield trophy. This would take place as a season opener one week prior to the first Regular season fixture and could be played at Twickenham or the national stadium of the competing Celtic League team.
‘Playing Through’ the Six Nations Championship

303 Currently each of the countries in the Six Nations has three International squads to support during the Six Nations window: the senior squad, the ‘A’ team squad and the U21 team squad. The number of Premiership club players involved in these squads makes it difficult or impossible for the Premiership to play through the Six Nations window as it does in the autumn international window. Contraction of the Six Nations playing window into a seven week block has exacerbated this problem.

304 The RFU and PRL have agreed that if PRL wish to play through the Six Nations (or part thereof) the RFU will not object subject to PRL clubs fully honouring international player release commitments. Under any new developments it is important to achieve a structure whereby the Premiership can be played through the Six Nations, thereby ‘retrieving’ up to five weeks in the season for club rugby and improving the frequency of matches in the second half of the season, thereby improving clubs’ cash flow. We should therefore investigate with the Six Nations the possibility of moving the ‘A’ team tournament outside of the Six Nations window by, say, having two matches pre the Autumn window and two matches pre the Six Nations. We should also consider the possibility of moving the U21 Six Nations outside of the Six Nations window. 

Club Stadium Capacities and Facilities
305 Attendance levels at Premiership matches have shown strong growth over the last six years as this table demonstrates. Total attendances on a per match basis for the Premiership have increased at an average rate of 10.5% p.a. since 1998/99 and the 2004/05 season has started strongly.

To cater for this continued growth in demand, investment in new or enlarged stadia is urgently required. Four stadia are now operating at capacity and if the above growth rates in demand continue, another five stadia will be operating at capacity within the next three years. Unless investment in additional capacity is made, the actual growth in attendances achievable will be severely restricted.

306 The issues with the facilities of our current stadia are not just related to capacity. There is also a need to invest in improved amenities to encourage family attendance and to improve the facilities for spectators generally. Because of the old nature of many of our stadia the amenities and overall facilities available are limited. This affects the abilities of our clubs to increase the match day spend per head. Premiership clubs need to have both growing attendances and growing spend per head to achieve financial viability. The total new capacity across the Premiership required over the next three to five years is estimated at 30-40,000 seats. The estimated capital cost of this new capacity could be between £60m -£100m.

307 The RFU has agreed to work together with PRL and the RFL in support of the establishment of a professional game rugby trust for the development of elite rugby stadia.  The RFU has further agreed to work with PRL to come up with creative ideas for assisting PRL in th esourcing and provision of stadia development finance.  Possible ideas include:

i) The establishment of PRL Stadia PLC corporate entity to raise necessary capital for stadia development
ii) The provision of RFU Guarantees for stadia loans
iii) The provision of finance convertable into stadium equity
iv) Conversion of the annual RFU fee into a capital contribution

Back to RFU Strategic plan 2005/06 - 2012/13 contents