England still waiting for boost from £264m RFU-Prem deal
Two years after the RFU and Prem clubs signed their £264m partnership, England await the promised lift with the World Cup 12 months away, The Guardian reports.
Two years after the Rugby Football Union and the Prem clubs signed a £264m professional game partnership, England are still waiting for the promised lift, with a World Cup 12 months away, according to The Guardian.
The deal was announced at Twickenham as a plan to "reshape the rugby landscape". Its most significant clause lets Steve Borthwick award 25 enhanced contracts and take more control over the selected players. How much control that gives him remains, in the paper's words, a matter of shades of grey. Borthwick was not at the launch.
The league has changed. Try-fests are 10-a-penny, relegation has formally ended and the game is moving towards a franchise system. The threat of R360 has been staved off, investment is coming in, and the clubs each receive £3.3m a year. Better alignment of marketing departments is also cited as a success.
If the investment keeps growing, the RFU's choice to work with the clubs rather than press its advantage may come to look the right one. For now, the gain for the national team is harder to see than the gain for the league.
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