RFU and Premiership Rugby agree eight-year partnership

(Reuters) - The Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership Rugby Limited (PRL) have agreed on an eight-year partnership to strengthen the England team and domestic rugby in the country, the organisations said on Monday. The agreement, worth over 200 million pounds, will give head coach Eddie Jones more flexibility in squad selection and additional training time ahead of test matches. England players who pass a minimum threshold of minutes played in the November tests and the Six Nations will have a mandatory rest period following the competitions. "We look forward to working with Premiership Rugby over the next eight years to promote and support rugby in England," Ian Ritchie, the RFU's chief executive, said in a statement. "Player welfare, as ever, is a priority for us all, and so further rest periods have been built into the season. This is a true partnership focused on making English rugby the best in the world for club and country." Jones led England to the Six Nations title this year and a 3-0 test series victory in Australia after taking over as coach from Stuart Lancaster following the team's dismal performance at last year's World Cup on home soil. (Reporting by Nivedita Shankar in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond)