Premiership coaches urge RFU to spell out plans for hybrid contracts

Premiership coaches have urged the Rugby Football Union to reveal its plans to introduce hybrid contracts for leading England players, claiming they have been kept in the dark for the past six months.

RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney first announced plans to bring in enhanced elite player squad (EPS) contracts in October in an attempt to stem the tide of England internationals leaving for France.

So far only the Saracens pair of Jamie George and Maro Itoje have received an offer in principle while a host of leading stars have headed over the Channel including former captain Owen Farrell, Lewis Ludlam and Kyle Sinckler.

Winger Henry Arundell was also offered a contract but turned it down to remain at Racing 92 in the Top 14.

With the details of the enhanced EPS contracts bound up in the torturous negotiations of the Professional Game Partnership between the RFU and Premiership rugby, frustration is growing among players and coaches over the delays. The RFU had originally hoped to conclude the PGP, which replaces the Professional Game Agreement which expires in June, before Christmas.

Clubs have largely confirmed their recruitment for next season but details of whom England head coach Steve Borthwick will grant an enhanced EPS, which would provide players with a fixed sum of around £150,000, will have important knock-on effects.

“As far as I know Maro and Jamie have agreed something in principle but I am not sure there is any contract offer on the table as it stands,” Mark McCall, the Saracens director of rugby, said. “It is pretty important it gets sorted as quickly as possible. It has got the potential to change things.

“I think it is fair to say that an agreement has been reached in principle between them, the club and the RFU. But as far as I know, no contract has been signed and the sooner all that can get done the better for everybody.”

Premiership leaders Northampton are likely to be one of the clubs most affected by Borthwick’s selection of up to 25 enhanced EPS contracts, but director of rugby Phil Dowson knows little more than the basic principles and has not taken it into account with his recruitment for next season.

“Not for next season because it is too late in the day to do anything about it but it will have an impact moving forward,” Dowson said. “How that is communicated and the timing of that will be really interesting.

“No more [clarity] since the last time we spoke which feels like months ago as to what that looks like. From my understanding it is match payments up front. The players currently get paid x amount a game and the risk there is you don’t get picked or you get injured.

“You can get guaranteed money in France or you can wait here and there are some risks in playing for England.”

Having already lost Farrell to Racing 92, McCall would not confirm whether he expects Billy Vunipola, who is understood to have signed for Montpellier, or his brother Mako Vunipola, who is also out of contract, to be at the StoneX Stadium next season.

“There’s nothing official to say,” McCall said. “I’m not going to be able to say anything. It’s important that the two of them give you the information when the time is right.”

Hartley to endure long lay-off

Meanwhile Saracens are expecting centre Olly Hartley to endure a long lay-off after suffering a serious knee injury in their 46-24 victory over Gloucester.

“Unfortunately for Olly it doesn’t look very good,” McCall said. “He has shown a lot of promise in a lot of games for us so we are really disappointed for him if it turns out to be as serious as it might. It is his knee and there is a possibility he has done a lot of damage.

“He is going to see the consultant but it looks to be a very severe knee injury. He has got a big, big future at our club and we will surround him with all the help and support we can.”