Why do the RFU give clubs money?

tigerburnie wrote: Tigers currently have ten players in the world cup alongside both first choice 9 and 10 injured, so the youngsters will be getting some game time. Even when England come home(which I think we all know might be quite early) the players still have to have rest periods, so we might get our first team back around Christmas time.

The whole issue of "non English" players needs a long and through review. For many years between about  1980 and 2010 my club in west London had an exchange programme with a similar sized club in Auckland NZ. Every mid August a couple of young Kiwi's would arrive at Heathrow, be picked up and joined the club. Jobs were found for them and  a couple of rooms in a flat. Some were excellent players and made the first team, others added value in lower teams. I think without exception the added to the club. In return in the spring two of our youngsters set out for Auckland where a similar arrangement took place. Hopefully they added to  the host club in a similar way.

As an example a local lad in Leicester was playing for his local club, he went to the Tigers, he was a tight head prop, part of his training was being mentored by Martin Castrogiavani, another part was scrummaging against Marcos Ayerza. Now Dan Cole may well have risen to where he is anyway, but it would be churlish to say he did not gain something from the two who at that time were the best two in the world in their positions, yes Tigers gained, but so did England.

The recent examples seem to illustrate the benefits of established overseas internationals been involved in the game but how many of the overseas players in the top flight are, by most people's definitions, journeymen, and who are not been highlighted in this thread as providing long term benefits to the English game? 

4 years ago and with the same club set up England reached a world cup final. While the club set up in England is not exactly thriving I'm not sure all the issues can be laid at their door.

Edited by Count Ford - 22 Aug 2023 at 12:56

Journeymen, who were skilled craftsman working for a master, paid by the day.

Good old Eddie stirring the pot.

imo the quality of rugby in the Championship has been exceptional - the problem may be higher up the pyramid.

And of course Eddie was never in a position to raise the issue of the pathway.

It's all heading (even tho' there are several other permutations) towards a ENGvAUS Q-F, isn't it?! I can't bear it! Much as I have grave reservations about the English national team, losing to Eddie's new side would be especially tough to take...