Could This Be the Start of Central Contracts in English Rugby?

[Rossm]

From today's Telegraph.

Anthony Watson being paid directly by England to keep him in the Premiership

Anthony Watson has become the first male England player to sign a training contract with the Rugby Football Union, paving the way for the wing to stay in the Premiership with Leicester Tigers after the World Cup.

Watson is listed as ?unattached? in the latest England squad update issued on Monday but Telegraph Sport understands the 29-year-old will be paid directly by the RFU through to the end of the World Cup after his previous contract with Leicester expired. Tigers are in pole position to re-sign Watson following the tournament.

French clubs, including Castres, had been circling Watson and it is thought the RFU was encouraged to make its move at the behest of England head coach Steve Borthwick, who wanted to keep him in the Premiership ? and thus available for selection ? after the World Cup. Watson was one of the few shining lights for England in a Six Nations campaign in which they finished fourth.

RFU insiders are at pains to emphasise this is not the same as a central contract like in Ireland, where the Irish Rugby Union directly pays the wages of its leading players. Instead it was an act of short-term expediency after Watson?s deal with Leicester came to an end. As Telegraph Sport previously reported, Watson struggled to find his market value in the Premiership as a result of the minimal salary-cap compensation clubs would receive during his lengthy absences in a World Cup season.

The move is not completely without precedent. Centre Ben Te?o was also offered a training contract before the 2019 World Cup, although that was rescinded when he was cut from Eddie Jones?s squad following his brawl with Mike Brown at a training camp in Treviso.

RFU and Leicester remain tight-lipped over deal
Yet the RFU is still playing with fire by signing Watson. Other Premiership clubs could perceive that the RFU is handing Leicester a unique advantage by paying for Watson?s absence during the World Cup. Such is the sensitivity of the subject that neither the RFU nor Leicester were prepared to comment upon the deal.

At the end of last season, Leicester were unable to re-sign Watson due to salary-cap restraints, but the training contract and Harry Potter?s departure to Western Force have opened up the fund for Watson to remain at Welford Road. Leicester have already bolstered their back-three options with the signings of Ollie Hassell-Collins and Josh Bassett from London Irish and Harlequins, while veteran full-back Mike Brown will remain at the club as cover during the World Cup.

Telegraph Sport also understands the RFU is proposing establishing a ?hybrid contract? for England?s leading players. This would give Borthwick and the RFU more control and input into the playing and training load of his main players in return for greater compensation. At present all clubs are paid ?40,000 for every player provided to England?s Elite Player Squad, regardless if they are an established starter or unused player.

Information sharing may be key to entente cordiale
Premiership Rugby certainly recognises there should be greater recompense for providing England?s leading players but many clubs are resistant to the idea of losing autonomy over a player?s schedule. There is an increased sense of collaboration with England and the clubs agreeing to employ the same GPS units so they can monitor data on each other?s watch.

A sign of the more cordial relationship is underscored by the fact they have rebranded the Professional Game Agreement, which determines relations between the RFU and Premiership Rugby, as the Professional Game Partnership. However, while there are many areas of alignment, there is still a considerable difference of opinion on the cost of the PGP, which is due to begin in 2024.

Under the previous PGA, which was signed in 2016, the RFU paid the clubs ?112 million for the first four years, with the second four-year period being linked to the RFU?s financial performance. After losing three Premiership clubs last season, the league is pushing for greater revenue. The RFU, however, is adamant it will not imperil the funding of the community game to prop up the Premiership. If it was to match or increase its backing, it would want greater input, whether in the form of hybrid contracts or a direct running of the academy system.

[coddy]

Looks fishy, smells fishy. The other clubs will no doubt be extremely concerned that Tigers have received favouritism from the RFU

[jamestaylor002]

It's certainly the start of something, I'd say. IMO, this deal alone already highlights the issues around favouritism and trying to keep a level playing field.

Central contracts work in Ireland for two main reasons (ignoring issues such as Leinster being golden child and fans not seeing their star players run out for their provinces often):

1. All provinces are centrally run within the IRFU - there doesn't appear to be a huge divide between the "haves" and "have-nots".
2. The national side is the priority - even Leinster are told when they can and cannot play their star players.

Central contracts, or agreements which are as good as, can't work in England whilst the game is in the state it is. This would only benefit a small handful of clubs, allowing those richer clubs to get richer and the others to continue to struggle.

[NellyWellyWaspy]

That's one way to bypass the cap. Open season.

[baldpaul101]

I am slightly confused here.
Surely he would be paid by the England for the period of the world cup. If he had a contract with Tigers, or anyone else, they would be paying him as well.
So does this deal pay him his England money AND his club money?

Presumably there is no guarantee that Tigers will re-sign him post world cup, how long will England pay his club wages if no wants him? What if he gets injured at the RWC (not an unlikely occurrence given his past medical history)? Who will want to sign him then?

[jamestaylor002]

That's one way to bypass the cap. Open season.

Exactly this.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

The way I read it:

Watson was out of contract because Tigers didn?t want to pay his salary with him being away so much and salary cap

No other PRL club wanted/could afford him

His only option appeared to be to play abroad

England now pay his salary until after WC at which point he?s a free agent and might well go back to Tigers.

It does leave a sour taste and the other clubs will no doubt be eying the situation with great suspicion.

I would rather they changed the rules and allowed foreign based players to be selected than go to central contracts.

[jamestaylor002]

I am slightly confused here.
Surely he would be paid by the England for the period of the world cup. If he had a contract with Tigers, or anyone else, they would be paying him as well.
So does this deal pay him his England money AND his club money?

Presumably there is no guarantee that Tigers will re-sign him post world cup, how long will England pay his club wages if no wants him? What if he gets injured at the RWC (not an unlikely occurrence given his past medical history)? Who will want to sign him then?

My guess is both but you'd like to think that the Tigers money is substantially lower than what he was paid before and all the RFU payments are doing is bringing his salary up to a value around what he was earning before (we don't live in an ideal world so it will remain to be seen just how much of an advantage Tigers are getting out of this).