Player exodus not because of deals delay, says George
England head coach Steve Borthwick has confirmed that the Enhanced Elite Player Squad contracts are unlikely to come into effect until the start of next season with only Maro Itoje and Jamie George having received an offer in principle so far.
Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney announced his intention to bring in the form of “hybrid contract” in October, but progress has slowed.
Meanwhile, seven members of England’s World Cup squad are set to be playing in France next season.
George, the captain, believes the delay in bringing in the new system has not contributed to the exodus of players. However, by the time England head to New Zealand it is likely that Manu Tuilagi will have signed for an overseas club, rendering him unavailable for selection.
“People are making personal choices,” George said. “If you know you’re going to be good enough to get an enhanced contract, you would stay in the country. If you want to leave then I think that decision has already been made.
“These contracts probably will be in place as of next season. If you’re aspirational enough and you want to play for England then you’d stay in England.”
Borthwick will fly to New Zealand today as he starts plotting a first series victory against the All Blacks this summer and he hopes to avoid a repeat of situations like when he discovered centre Ollie Lawrence’s injury as he was heading to the Six Nations launch in Dublin.
“We need to make sure that when we have a Test coming those players are available and fit from the start,” Borthwick said.
Despite finishing the Six Nations campaign with a 33-31 loss against France, England will head into the summer with a sense of momentum after beating champions Ireland. They face Eddie Jones’s Japan on June 22 followed by a two-test series against New Zealand in Dunedin and Auckland on July 6 and 13.
England’s third-place finish in the Six Nations was their best since winning the title in 2020, but it was the manner in which they finished the tournament against Ireland and France that inspires the most confidence. Scrum-half Danny Care believes the “sky’s the limit”.
“I think that [going to New Zealand] says it all,” Care said. “Steve is one of the best coaches I have ever worked with. The sky’s the limit. I’ve got no doubt that this team is going to hit some massive heights.”