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The ProD2 adjustment the RFU Championship could make

(Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)

Amongst the furore following the Rugby Football Union’s decision to slash their funding of the Championship in England, many players have spoken out on how detrimental this could be for the game and the development of players.

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A large number of players currently plying their trade in the Gallagher Premiership and also the England squad have benefited from their time in the Championship, which is why this decision by the RFU has not been welcomed. However, not as many have had experience of playing in both England’s second tier and France’s, Pro D2.

Former Bath prop Kane Palma-Newport, who is currently playing for US Colomiers in France’s second division, has weighed in on the topic on Twitter, having had a taste of both leagues.

The 29-year-old, who had a spell with the Championship’s Yorkshire Carnegie, said that clubs in France are not solely funded by the federation or from within, rather the “town/ town hall are all involved”.
Palma-Newport has said that the clubs in England need to use “the grounds and the clubs as social hubs”, in the same way they do in France in order to make them more sustainable.

Players and members of the Championship clubs have fiercely objected to this plan by the RFU, fearing it will not only end any hopes of clubs rising to the Premiership, but could seriously stultify players’ progression.

France may therefore have the model in which many of these clubs can follow by making the ground part of the community. This would not only generate support and interest in the team, but will make the clubs a viable businesses.

The biggest concern is that the gulf between the Premiership and the Championship may grow even vaster as a consequence of the RFU’s plans, which could lead to ring-fencing the top league ultimately. However, France leads the way in how these teams can still survive.

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WATCH: Clubs fear RFU’s savage second-tier funding cut ‘will affect many people’s livelihoods’.

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G
GrahamVF 1 hour ago
Does South Africa have a future in European competition?

"has SA actually EVER helped to develop another union to maturity like NZ has with Japan," yes - Argentina. You obviously don't know the history of Argentinian rugby. SA were touring there on long development tours in the 1950's

We continued the Junior Bok tours to the Argentine through to the early 70's

My coach at Grey High was Giepie Wentzel who toured Argentine as a fly half. He told me about how every Argentinian rugby club has pictures of Van Heerden and Danie Craven on prominent display. Yes we have developed a nation far more than NZ has done for Japan. And BTW Sa players were playing and coaching in Japan long before the Kiwis arrived. Fourie du Preez and many others were playing there 15 years ago.


"Isaac Van Heerden's reputation as an innovative coach had spread to Argentina, and he was invited to Buenos Aires to help the Pumas prepare for their first visit to South Africa in 1965.[1][2] Despite Argentina faring badly in this tour,[2] it was the start of a long and happy relationship between Van Heerden and the Pumas. Izak van Heerden took leave from his teaching post in Durban, relocated to Argentina, learnt fluent Spanish, and would revolutionise Argentine play in the late 1960s, laying the way open for great players such as Hugo Porta.[1][2] Van Heerden virtually invented the "tight loose" form of play, an area in which the Argentines would come to excel, and which would become a hallmark of their playing style. The Pumas repaid the initial debt, by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park, and emerged as one of the better modern rugby nations, thanks largely to the talents of this Durban schoolmaster.[1]"


After the promise made by Junior Springbok manager JF Louw at the end of a 12-game tour to Argentina in 1959 – ‘I will do everything to ensure we invite you to tour our country’ – there were concerns about the strength of Argentinian rugby. South African Rugby Board president Danie Craven sent coach Izak van Heerden to help the Pumas prepare and they repaid the favour by beating the Junior Springboks at Ellis Park.

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