We are 12 years on from Sir Graham Henry’s withering assertion that England were “world champions at wasting talent”; a put-down this nation has struggled to convincingly shake off since.

Glory at the Under-20 World Championship this summer will have been heartening, but work on the professional game partnership (PGP) suggests an awareness the identification and development of prospects needed to become sharper.

While hybrid contracts for England internationals and a commitment to devising a salary cap formula are two eye-catching aspects of the agreement, modifications to the Premiership academy system should prove at least as meaningful in the attempt to futureproof the sport in this country.

It has been a thorough undertaking that has commissioned a study from Dublin City University (DCU) and tapped into a range of population data to redraw geographical boundaries while considering snazzy interventions such as an NFL-style draft. Clubs will now partner with a minimum of two state schools each; a move that could broaden the reach of rugby union and send a deeper and more diverse pool of youngsters pushing towards the professional ranks.

The first step was to address the fall-out from the 2022-23 season, which saw Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish tumble into financial oblivion. After the stop-gap of three temporary institutions run by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) – Midlands Central, Midlands West and London & South Central – swathes of players have needed to be rehomed.

New ‘10 plus one’ system comprising academies for each Premiership club

In a process led by Matt Williams, who himself joined the RFU from Wasps, around 1,500 youngsters will be absorbed by a new ‘10 plus one’ system comprising academies for each Premiership club as well as a Yorkshire set-up overseen by the newly established professional game board (PGB). Redrawing club boundaries was a significant challenge because of the “clustered” nature of top-flight teams, particularly in the South West.

Gloucester benefited from the demise of Worcester and Wasps by taking part of Warwickshire and the West Midlands, including the city of Birmingham, into their catchment area. As a result of London Irish going under, Bristol Bears’ fiefdom shifted further into Somerset, around that of Bath, who have acquired Hampshire and Berkshire. The capital is now split solely between Harlequins and Saracens.

Several data metrics were interrogated, including the male populations between 10-19 in each local authority as well as the number of registered players between 13-19 and the number of schools and ‘community’ clubs to be registered with the RFU in any given area.

‘A fair model based on development rather than recruitment’

Neil McCarthy, the head of player development at Premiership Rugby, explains that the aim was to land upon “a fair model based on development rather than recruitment” that would “drive a more ethical approach to talent identification”. Clubs have been encouraged to forge local relationships rather than buy in talent, which could create an inflationary market for teenagers – a slippery slope indeed.

There has been a marked uplift in academy funding to help clubs manage the new regions and, from the coming season, the pathways will begin at under-15 rather than under-14. Of course, these are not closed shops. Later bloomers can be intergrated at any stage.

The approach has been redefined, too: U15-U16 will be known as the ‘foundation phase’, U17-U18 is now the ‘development phase’ and U19-U24 the ‘confirmation phase’. As Telegraph Sport revealed last month, Premiership bosses are eager to explore the introduction of a ‘rookie league’ to provide meaningful competition for those in the latter age band.

Just a fortnight ago, Bristol boss Pat Lam reiterated his view that a draft could yield more opportunities by redistributing players to cater for positional needs at senior level. McCarthy is confident that the tweaked system, which already contained mechanisms to allow clubs to recruit players from rivals by paying compensation, will help deal with tricky pinch-points.

“A draft was mooted quite early on by some clubs,” he says. “Some of that was driven by the perception of a lack of equity in the system. When you look at the data, the only correlation we have currently with player productivity is academy spend.

“Whatever a club puts into its academy directly equates to player productivity. Size of area does not correlate with player productivity, for example. We’ve gone through a process of developing insight from the construction of a database as part of the DCU project.

“Fronted by Jamie Taylor, who previously coached at Leicester and Wasps academies, and Amy Shelley, that has undone some of the myths around the system.”

Academies must forge bonds with more state schools

Senior squad caps of 35, with 12 more in a ‘transition squad’ and a maximum of 15 in a senior academy with fixed wage ‘rookie contracts’ for U19s and U20s, will not be introduced to the Premiership just yet. If they do, they should allow for natural redistribution, because any players not retained by a club in those structures will become available to the rest.

An annual audit by PRL and the RFU found that 63 per cent of U16 players affiliated to an academy attended state schools. The figure of state-educated players swings down to around 46 per cent from U17 onwards, partly because of sixth-form scholarships to independent schools.

Baked into the PGP is the requirement for each Premiership academy to establish a relationship with at least two state schools, up from one in the previous arrangement. As private schools brace for VAT charges, the timing is useful.

With slightly more sympathetic minimum standards requirements, there is a more realistic chance of promotion and relegation between the top two tiers from the coming season. If a Championship side goes up and establishes themselves in the Premiership over three years or so, as Exeter Chiefs did, there is scope to trigger a review, issue a new licence and redraw regional boundaries.

Positional profiling in need of attention

It is acknowledged that one area to have been missed over the past decade is a national curriculum that lays out the skills, physical assets, technical requirements and psychology specific to each position at Premiership level and beyond. England supporters might argue that tighthead prop and inside centre are roles that need urgent attention. In truth, solving the perennially prickly issue of consistent game-time in appropriate competitions between the ages of 18-24 will be the best way of figuring this out

The current conversion rate of U18 academy players to the Premiership is 38 per cent. Over the coming eight years, with existing infrastructure reinforced by the PGP, that figure should rise. Clubs will be asked for detailed four-year performance plans and English fortunes in the Champions Cup and at Test level will hold up a mirror to progress. Up to four fixtures per season for England ‘A’ and the expansion of the England U20 squad to 50 players are changes designed to strengthen the pathway to Test honours.

By the time that the next PGP is being finalised, it will be 20 years since Graham Henry took aim at England. How satisfying it would be for powerbrokers if accusations of talent wastage seemed a distant soundbite from a different era.

Q&A: Premiership academy system modifications

Why is this being done?

To strengthen the pathway from junior level into the professional ranks and to adapt to the loss of three Premiership clubs – Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish – between 2022 and 2023.

Where are the major changes?

Gloucester, Bath, Bristol Bears, Saracens and Harlequins have all absorbed significant areas, but the boundaries were worked out in an equitable manner focused on a range of factors.

How do players enter the academy system?

Clubs will operate opportunities for players dependent on their catchment area. The new system will absorb the community game developing player programme into the professional game, with the first touchpoint for Premiership academies now Under-15 level rather than Under-14.

Where do schools fit in?

There are existing strong relationships with a broad range of education providers that span the independent and state sectors. Those relationships will continue to develop further across the PGP. To support the state sector, clubs have been encouraged to ensure they have a minimum of two state school partnerships participating in the RFU ACE competition from the 2025-26 season. This will help maintain and grow the talent pool.

Why is there no draft?

The whole approach to player development is focused on encouraging clubs to invest in and develop their own regional areas rather than focusing on recruiting from other areas, which would create an inappropriate race to the bottom for young talent. The desire is for local players to grow together and play together, for their clubs and for England.