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Former sevens boss urges fans to trust clubs like Exeter with post-RWC player welfare

(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

With the World Cup now over, international players will begin to filter back into action with their English clubs over the coming weeks. 

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It is understandable that South African and English players will take the most time before returning, as the final was only last weekend. 

However, Exeter Chiefs have raised a few eyebrows as their team to face the Bristol at Sandy Park on Sunday contains two players that playing in the World Cup final. 

Henry Slade starts at outside centre for the Chiefs, while Luke Cowan-Dickie starts on the bench. Both of whom came on in England’s 32-12 loss to the Springboks. 

Jack Nowell, who was also part of England’s RWC squad, is also on the bench, as head coach Rob Baxter spared no time in bringing his big names back. Likewise, Stuart Hogg started for Exeter soon after returning from Japan with Scotland some weeks ago. 

(Continue reading below…)

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This has raised some concerns, particularly as Rugby Football Union CEO Bill Sweeney emphasised that England players would be rested after the RWC. 

However, former England and Fiji sevens coach Ben Ryan has stressed on Twitter that “you need to trust the clubs here”. 

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The Olympic gold-winning coach said that Exeter have an “amazing” strength and conditioning department and that clubs “are never going to risk key players unless they are certain they will be ready to go”.

Although the Chiefs trio were at the RWC, they did not play as much as many of their England team-mates. Cowan-Dickie only started one match, as did Slade, and Nowell only made a solitary appearance from the bench. 

In truth, the three would have played a lot more rugby had they stayed with Exeter, although it probably would have been less intense. 

In contrast, a player like Saracens’ Billy Vunipola, who has played a vast amount of Test rugby over the past months, may take longer to reappear in domestic rugby. 

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Every player had a different RWC and should, therefore, be treated differently. Furthermore, many England players will surely want to get back onto the pitch as soon as possible and move on from their final loss. 

No club will seek to rush players back if they are not ready, as it benefits neither party. It will only be more damaging in the long term if players are not fully rested, as injuries or fatigue are more likely to occur down the line. 

Player welfare should always be paramount and although it sometimes looks like players are being rushed back too soon, each player and each club needs to be judged on merit. 

WATCH: Former Saracens player Jim Hamilton discusses the salary cap scandal surrounding his former club

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Soliloquin 2 hours ago
Competing interests and rotated squads: What the 'player welfare summer' is really telling us

I don’t know the financial story behind the changes that were implemented, but I guess clubs started to lose money, Mourad Boudjellal won it all with Toulon, got tired and wanted to invest in football , the French national team was at its lowest with the QF humiliation in 2015 and the FFR needed to transform the model where no French talent could thrive. Interestingly enough, the JIFF rule came in during the 2009/2010 season, so before the Toulon dynasty, but it was only 40% of the players that to be from trained in French academies. But the crops came a few years later, when they passed it at the current level of 70%.

Again, I’m not a huge fan of under 18 players being scouted and signed. I’d rather have French clubs create sub-academies in French territories like Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia and other places that are culturally closer to RU and geographically closer to rugby lands. Mauvaka, Moefana, Taofifenua bros, Tolofua bros, Falatea - they all came to mainland after starting their rugby adventure back home.

They’re French, they come from economically struggling areas, and rugby can help locally, instead of lumping foreign talents.

And even though many national teams benefit from their players training and playing in France, there are cases where they could avoid trying to get them in the French national team (Tatafu).

In other cases, I feel less shame when the country doesn’t believe in the player like in Meafou’s case.

And there are players that never consider switching to the French national team like Niniashvili, Merckler or even Capuozzo, who is French and doesn’t really speak Italian.

We’ll see with Jacques Willis 🥲


But hey, it’s nothing new to Australia and NZ with PI!

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