World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin has acknowledged growing concerns around the workload of Springbok players.
Since SA Rugby left Super Rugby for the Vodacom URC, many of the country’s top players now have an almost year-round schedule, balancing northern hemisphere club rugby with Test commitments, including the southern-hemisphere’s Rugby Championship.
This has raised questions about long-term player welfare.
Gilpin conceded that the sport has yet to find a workable global solution.
“What we haven’t been able to do in the men’s global calendar discussion for as long as I’ve been involved in the game, which is more than 20 years, is get to full alignment where the international windows are aligned across the globe,” he said on the Rugby Unity podcast.
“It’s challenging because there are conditions in different parts of the world. There are different professional domestic competitions being played and they’ve built their economic models around the calendar as it is.
“Moving one piece requires compromise in other areas and that’s the challenging debate.”
SA RUGBY CEO: Global season needs compromise
However, Gilpin stressed there is increasing agreement around the need for change, particularly from a player welfare perspective.
“Players are at the heart of that. If you’re a South African player playing your domestic rugby in Europe and playing for the Springboks in their international competitions, including the Rugby Championship, that’s an 11-month season and it’s not sustainable at the level the game’s being played.”
Gilpin added that while progress has been made, a global calendar remains some way off.
“We’ve got to try and find those solutions, so there’s really good recognition of that. And then of course, what does the fan want? The fan wants more alignment and more coherent global calendar.
“There’s been good discussions but more work to do. We want to play a role as a facilitator and a driving force from a World Rugby perspective in those discussions as I think we have over a number of years and just continue to bring people together.
“There’s a commitment to continue looking at that which I think is really powerful.”
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Photo: Phil Walter/Getty Images
The post ‘Springbok schedule not sustainable’ appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin has acknowledged growing concerns around the workload of Springbok players.
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