CHAIRMAN’S REVIEW

After lengthy and challenging but amicable negotiations, it was enormously heartening to see a new eight-year agreement between the RFU and the Guinness Premiership clubs concluded, covering all aspects of elite and professional rugby in England.

The RFU Council at their Twickenham meeting on 27 September gave the agreement their approval, following its earlier endorsement by the Union’s Management Board.

Both sides had accepted that the starting point must be giving the England team everything needed to get it back to the top of world rugby. The RFU was prepared to compensate the clubs for the increased level of access needed to the Elite Player Squad and I believe that we have now secured that access. This will mean that the RFU will compensate the premiership clubs £7.5m in 2008/09, rising to £13m in 2013/14, a total of £88m over the eight years of the agreement.

We were both determined to leave nothing for future dispute or debate and consequently the agreement is incredibly detailed to ensure a solid foundation upon which both the England team and the premiership clubs can build.

The new agreement will run from the start of the 2008/09 season and will supersede the old Long Form Agreement, due to end in 2009. It aims to compensate clubs providing players for England and ensure their release for the whole of the autumn international and Six Nations windows, as well as the weekends before the first matches, and appropriate release for summer tours.

A Professional Game Board will be set up, chaired by a member of the RFU and with four RFU delegates, four from the premiership clubs, two from the Professional Rugby Players’ Association and one from First Division Rugby.

The existing premiership season structure remains, culminating in play-offs and a championship final with automatic relegation and promotion to the premiership being retained, providing the winner of National Division One meets the criteria for membership of the premiership.

An extra fourth autumn Test is planned for 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014 subject to IRB approval as well as an annual England XV v Barbarians or PRL representative team fixture.

The England Saxons team will play two games at the start of the Six Nations window and up to four games each June. England Under 20s will play a Six Nations programme and compete in the IRB World Championships each year. England Sevens will play in the IRB World Sevens series, the Sevens World Cup and in the Commonwealth Games. There will be a five day Senior and Saxons training camp in the August of non-World Cup years.

A fund will be established to compensate clubs for increasing the number of England Qualified Players that they have in their match day squads and the