Adult male future competitions structure consultations launched
The RFU has this week launched a series of nine online consultation webinars which will run throughout June.
The aim of the online consultations webinars is to create a competition structure which meets the needs of current and future rugby players.
Clubs and players from across the country, and at different levels of the game, will be presented with findings from the work undertaken by the Adult Competition Future Structure Group, a direction of travel and different options of what the season will look like.
This virtual process follows January’s Adult Male Future Competitions Structure Survey which attracted more than 6,000 responses. Read the headline results from that survey.
A huge amount of evidence has been reviewed over the last nine months, including input received through listening panels, surveys, correspondence and by reviewing participation data, conducting deep-dive case studies with clubs and Constituent Bodies. Trends impacting other sports and international rugby unions have also been taken into consideration.
A range of options for future competition structures have been considered against the four important principles used for evaluating and assessing the benefits of change. These are that the competition structure is player-centric, is considerate of the time and distance involved in playing fixtures, enhances the player’s experience and the integrity of the competition and is supportive of the financial and sustainability of participating clubs.
Feedback on proposals, which include reducing league sizes in a number of instances, introducing league break weekends, and organising leagues to minimise travel for teams, is essential to ensure a transformational structure which meets the game’s needs.
Final proposals will be communicated for further consultation with the wider game later in the summer, ahead of any RFU Council decision on 2 October 2020, for implementation in the 2021/22 season.
“We can see from participation trends and data that players are playing less fixtures each season and are choosing to play fewer matches for a number of lifestyle reasons," said RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney.
"Demands on players’ time through changing socio-economic factors is not the same as it was 20 years ago. Our current playing offer puts pressure on players and clubs to fulfil fixtures, undermining the sustainability of the game."
“We now have the opportunity to establish a competition structure across the game to serve the interests of all of our players and clubs and underpin our game for the future.”
