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Sinckler ignites Twitter debate with 'worrying times ahead' tweet
By Liam Heagney
England prop Kyle Sinckler has ignited a debate on social media after tweeting on Tuesday afternoon about his concerns that upwards of 100 Gallagher Premiership players have been left without a club for the 2022/23 season. The reduced salary cap has instigated a huge upheaval across the English top-flight, with some clubs issuing lengthy lists of players they are releasing at the end of the 2021/22 campaign with budgets beginning to bite.
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Bristol prop Sinckler has been sidelined since a mid-April Heineken Champions Cup appearance versus Sale and he has now opted out from the upcoming England tour to Australia in order to fully recover from a back problem ahead of a 2022/23 campaign that will lead into his country’s assault on the World Cup in France.
With time on his hands away from playing games, the 29-year-old tighthead has shown his awareness of the shift taking place in the English game due to the decision to cut the salary cap from £6.4million to £5m and to also cut the number of marquee players who can sit outside that cap from two to one at each club for the upcoming season.
The pressure these cutbacks have put on contracts has now resulted in Sinckler taking to Twitter to outline his concern over what is unfolding: “Nearly 100 Premiership rugby players will now be without a club for the 22/23 season. Nothing to do with their rugby ability just finances. Worrying times ahead,” he wrote.
Within an hour, his message was retweeted 106 times, liked by 947 fans and replied to by 41 people including ex-Harlequins prop James Johnston, the 2012 Premiership winner who played this season in the French third tier for Nice. “It is worrying, my uce! Hope something gets sorted for those boys.”
It is worrying my uce! Hope something get sorted for those boys.?? ??
— James Johnston (@JayVJohnston) June 7, 2022
Numerous other replies suggested the Championship needs to be quickly sorted out so that it can become a more professional tournament and take up the slack with the Premiership finances being squeezed like never before. Broadcaster Rupert Cox said: “Another good reason why Championship rugby needs looking after, Sinks.”
Another fan replied: “The RFU needs to do something about the Championship. The Pirates, Ealing and Doncaster are being ruined by an anti-expansion organisation and it is affecting the quality of RU in England. Look at France. Their second division is thriving and they have a great national side.”
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https://twitter.com/CJEvansLWOSport/status/1534186629308506113
