THE WORLD’S TOP rugby players have called for a seat at the decision-making table as discussions about the future of the global game continue.
The sport’s bosses are due to meet in Dublin on Thursday where World Rugby’s controversial Nations Championship proposal will be top of the agenda.
In a statement issued early this morning, International Rugby Players committed to their participation in the summit “in order to explore options and see if a constructive solution for the game can be found”.
But a host of player representatives insisted that their voice needs to be clearly heard by the power brokers in this and future discussions, and called for a more formal involvement.
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“We want to ensure that there will be no repeat of the current situation and that the frustrations over the lack of player consultation are addressed,” Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones said.
“It’s in the interest of our game that World Rugby and the unions convene with the playing population so that proper solutions can be agreed. Players having a genuine, and greater say, can’t be undervalued.”
The Nations Championship — a proposed 12-team tournament which would link the Six Nations and Rugby Championship teams as well as Japan and the USA — was met with strong criticism from players, with concerns about additional games and the status of the Pacific island nations to the fore.
Ahead of Thursday’s crucial talks, Australia’s Michael Hooper and former South African captain Jean de Villiers also reinforced the need for rugby bosses to hear and respect players’ opinions.
“We want to be part of key decisions in the game, however at the moment we don’t have a proper seat at the table to exert any influence,” Hooper said.
“Players understand, better than anyone, what happens at the coal face and how certain decisions impact both the players and the broader game, so it would be counterproductive to cast the player view aside.
“Moving forward we want to ensure that the players have independently appointed representation on the World Rugby Executive Committee and other key World Rugby decision making bodies.”
De Villiers added: “The players feel that the existing understanding between World Rugby and the Players should evolve from a loose commitment to consult, to a requirement to reach agreement on certain key issues.
“The feeling on the call was that it is no longer appropriate for World Rugby and the unions to determine tournament structures, logistics and tournament terms of participation without getting to an agreed outcome with players.”
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'We want to be part of key decisions': Players call for a seat at World Rugby table
THE WORLD’S TOP rugby players have called for a seat at the decision-making table as discussions about the future of the global game continue.
The sport’s bosses are due to meet in Dublin on Thursday where World Rugby’s controversial Nations Championship proposal will be top of the agenda.
In a statement issued early this morning, International Rugby Players committed to their participation in the summit “in order to explore options and see if a constructive solution for the game can be found”.
But a host of player representatives insisted that their voice needs to be clearly heard by the power brokers in this and future discussions, and called for a more formal involvement.
“We want to ensure that there will be no repeat of the current situation and that the frustrations over the lack of player consultation are addressed,” Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones said.
“It’s in the interest of our game that World Rugby and the unions convene with the playing population so that proper solutions can be agreed. Players having a genuine, and greater say, can’t be undervalued.”
The Nations Championship — a proposed 12-team tournament which would link the Six Nations and Rugby Championship teams as well as Japan and the USA — was met with strong criticism from players, with concerns about additional games and the status of the Pacific island nations to the fore.
Ahead of Thursday’s crucial talks, Australia’s Michael Hooper and former South African captain Jean de Villiers also reinforced the need for rugby bosses to hear and respect players’ opinions.
“We want to be part of key decisions in the game, however at the moment we don’t have a proper seat at the table to exert any influence,” Hooper said.
“Players understand, better than anyone, what happens at the coal face and how certain decisions impact both the players and the broader game, so it would be counterproductive to cast the player view aside.
“Moving forward we want to ensure that the players have independently appointed representation on the World Rugby Executive Committee and other key World Rugby decision making bodies.”
De Villiers added: “The players feel that the existing understanding between World Rugby and the Players should evolve from a loose commitment to consult, to a requirement to reach agreement on certain key issues.
“The feeling on the call was that it is no longer appropriate for World Rugby and the unions to determine tournament structures, logistics and tournament terms of participation without getting to an agreed outcome with players.”
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
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