Irish Rugby Central Contracts

So this is it. Peter Griffin of Family Guy is totally responsible for this new thread. In this thread members are given the opportunity to say what is really getting on their nerves. Because this is a rugby forum I would ask that folks would contain their responses to Irish rugby issues rather than getting into their own personal issues.

So I am kicking this off on the issue of central IRFU rugby contracts. Now I should be corrected immediately, but my understanding of these contracts is that these players are key to the future of Ireland so their wages must be guaranteed at levels that the provincial teams simply would struggle to afford. So here is the list

• Jamie Heaslip (Leinster - 2017)
• Donnacha Ryan (Munster - 2017)
• Devin Toner (Leinster - 2017)
• Andrew Trimble (Ulster - 2017)
• Rob Kearney (Leinster - 2018)
• Tommy Bowe (Ulster - 2018)
• Rory Best (Ulster - 2018)
• Peter O'Mahony (Munster - 2018)
• Jared Payne (Ulster - 2018)
• Sean O'Brien (Leinster - 2019)
• Keith Earls (Munster - 2019)
• Robbie Henshaw (Connacht/Leinster - 2019)
• Johnny Sexton (Leinster - 2019)
• Cian Healy (Leinster - 2019)
• Conor Murray (Munster - 2019)

So I pick Robbie out of this as he is of Connacht blood (it would be much easier to pick another ‘target’). But let’s understand the argument. We get pointed out to us that we cannot compete with the UK and France at a recent IRFU annual report. France and England will always be able to pay better money to what we can pay.
So, as an example, Robbie gets a contract in France earning a fortune. So what is the problem? He is playing in a top league. Look at the English soccer league. It does not mean the English soccer team is the best soccer team. What it means is that the player in the English soccer league is getting fantastic experience. Why should we fear this?
Are we lost with Marshall, Scannell, Aki, Ringrose, Olding, Robb and so many more. So in this example Robbie benefits, Ireland benefits and new kids on the block benefit. The talent is still there so we can still compete and Robbie benefits also. So everybody wins.
We are developing fantastic talent. Our academies are doing a fantastic job. Everybody needs to move on. It’s simply nature. To stop this happening, and put this daft central contract stuff in place, is simply stunting progression. Let it happen.
And cut this rubbish about players who play abroad not being able to play for Ireland (other than Sexton). How daft is that.

sea_point wrote:

Shelflife wrote: Simply put the IRFU then lose control over Hensaw.

Henshaw will not be able to go to training camps as often as the IRFU would like and his "owners" can play him as often as they like in order to get their monies worth.

The national team would suffer as a result, wins could dry up and the International game may not make as much money as they would like. Then the provinces would suffer.

Indeed the IRFU has better things to do than be forced to deal with hjead banngers like Mourad Boudjellal, Nigel Wray and their ilk every time they're planning for a major tour / competition...

Look if the Frenchy want to run a 48 week a year domestic season that's up to them, but it's definitely not in the interests of the players welfare or their respective National Teams (as we've seen with French national over the last decade or more)...

But I do think that younger fringe players should be looking abroad much earlier while they're building a career, not just settling for three year contract playing B&I Cup with the off run out in the more meaningless European & Domestic fixtures or bench warming. Same applies to Irish Coaches, they should be expanding their horizons as early as possible, and accelerating their development as a result.

There seems to be a perception that French rugby comes down to flogging a dead horse. I appreciate that their season is longer than others. Is it true to say that it is an end of career move where you will be milked for every last bit of energy you have. You will be paid large money but you will earn it? No matter what competition you play in surely if you don't have a player welfare policy you lose. The player gets injured and then the next player gets injured and in the end the team suffers.

I don't have enough knowledge of French rugby to say if this is true or not. It just makes sense to me and I expect to most rational people.

I do agree that players need to move on rather than warming a bench for their own future. I have watched the B&I competition and it is not pretty. I would be happy to see this competition canned and have players playing for their clubs on a regular basis.

As for coaching, while Felix Jones was a great servant for Munster, I would rather he was schooled in coaching before he is awarded a coaching job.

And looking at the list of players on central contracts, well its a fluid situation. So how about this solution. Rather than a central contract you get a central provincial contract. Instead you deem players crucial to the future of the province rather than a central contract where the player is deemed crucial to the country. This provides a balance to the provinces which in the long run should provide a balance to the national team. We then guarantee the future of the provinces, as equals, and at the same time guarantee the future of the national team.

Well at least Robbie support Bundee in green
www.the42.ie/robbie-henshaw-new-zealand-...aki-2935528-Aug2016/

connachta wrote: Well at least Robbie support Bundee in green
www.the42.ie/robbie-henshaw-new-zealand-...aki-2935528-Aug2016/

No bitterness to Robbie, but I would like to see an Aki Olding combo.

I would like to retract that comment. Robbie and Bundee were by far the best centres and centre partnership in the country this year.