Carling warns of strain on players
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Will Carling, who gave up the England captaincy in March, has warned English rugby clubs against over-stretching their best players and repeated his appeal for "super clubs".
Carling, speaking on behalf of senior players, stressed that the England team must come first in the club versus country argument and he viewed next season's fixture list with great concern.
A member of a successful team who are committed to 22 league matches and possibly 10 more in European Cup and Pilkington Cup tournaments could reach 40 matches per season, with his international commitments added in. Carling pointed out the clubs are in danger of making demands on their main players that will detract from the health of the national game.
"There is genuine worry that the clubs' commercial aspirations have driven them to demand a level of competition which will neither improve the all- important standards of play or is in the interests in the financial health of the game," he said. "The long-term prosperity of English rugby will be secured at international level. England must compete and win at world level. The clubs must take this on board.
"We have examples of problems in other sports where clubs control the players and play them too frequently at an inferior quality level, so that when players take the international stage they are neither adequately prepared nor as sharp as they might like to be."
He said that could disillusion young players who develop their enthusiasm for the sport from watching the national side.
"The players are worried that the clubs, in their short-term rush to success, will overlook the long-term ambitions and will saturate the market with matches, and possibly TV coverage, which could lead to general boredom."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments