The 'brilliant' reason Billy Sela was name checked at RFU PGP launch

Wednesday’s professional game partnership launch was naturally hugely focused on what the eight-year deal means for Steve Borthwick’s England team and the Gallagher Premiership clubs, but there was also plenty of discussion about other aspects of the professional game – including where to next for the U20s who lit up their imagination with their Junior Rugby World Championship win last July.

Aside from the confirmation that Borthwick can have the final sports science and medical say on upwards of 25 players in the 50-strong elite player squad at senior level, there was also reference made to the EPS squad at U20s level which will also accommodate 50 players.

While the optimum number of matches for senior players has been set at 30, it is lower for the U20s and an interesting reference was made about Bath’s Billy Sela regarding where this game time at club level might happen.

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The tighthead featured for Mapletoft’s England until injury sidelined him for the semi-final and final matches in Cape Town against Ireland and France, but he will be available again for U20s selection in 2024/25 as he is still underage.

Sela’s situation cropped up in the discussion that began with Conor O’Shea, the RFU performance director, being asked what is the adequate number of matches an U20s players should play in the coming season.

“Optimum number is an interesting one,” he said. “You have to play, you can’t not play. We’d like it to be up to 20 (games) but it varies. The data will tell you that a lot of U19s will not be ready for Championship level. U20s begin to play at that level, and there is some you will see accelerating through so it’s the appropriate place.

“It’s down in some of the tier two discussions, saying how can you accelerate one or two by putting them a level above because their ceiling is so high? By putting them in an accelerated place in terms of their game time is actually going to improve them on a quicker basis.

“To put a number on games, Mark Mapletoft last year got a year ahead of the plan with the clubs and they were brilliant – we knew it was coming so we said, ‘Let’s try and get into it this year’ – he was trying to get to that 20-odd games including England to make sure we had that now.

“For some that could be 10 or 12. For some, that could be 24 but we think a minimum of around 20 but that will vary. It will vary through injury etc, but they have to play.”

Premiership Rugby director Phil Winstanley added: “There will be various options of doing that. For example, we know that a lot of the 18-year-olds going to university, BUCS is a very valid platform and they are playing against athletes who are two and three years older. There is a various options.”

It was on hearing this that O’Shea now mentioned Sela. “That is a brilliant area. So Billy Sela, who people saw in the U20s World Cup, was playing for Bath University last year. He is back in the U20s again next year. Where is the best place for him?

“He is an exceptional talent. Where is the best place for him as he forges his way through into the Bath senior team to play his rugby? He will play U20s again, he will go to the Junior World Cup, but what is the best place for him and it could well still be Bath Uni.

“So there are the conversations we will be having on those individual players to make sure that if he fulfils his potential, can he become an England tighthead? Yes. Our job is to make sure he fulfils his potential.”