We are currently in the middle of the summer football transfer window as fans sit excitedly and nervously by their phones waiting to see if their favourite players leave their club, or new talent arrives. The extraordinary fees paid by … Continue reading Player transfer market – Could rugby learn from football?

A look at whether the RFU should be held responsible for the decreasing participation numbers in rugby. When speaking with people who volunteer in the rugby community there is one issue that always crops up in conversation – player recruitment … Continue reading Rotting from the core?

Rugby Blindside recently spoke with David Barnes about the role of the Discipline Department within the RFU. A little about you… Can you tell us a bit about your background? I have been RFU Head of Discipline since 2017, having … Continue reading Interview with David Barnes, Head of Discipline at the RFU

Ben Cisneros, Trainee Solicitor at Morgan Sports Law discusses RFU Regulation 7 and its impact on how the community game is governed. Since the start of the 2019/20 season, English rugby clubs whose men’s first XVs play at Level 3 … Continue reading Payments to Players under RFU Regulation 7

Written by Rugby Blindside It’s now been a couple of weeks since the full fixture list for the 2021/22 RFU Championship season was announced. Although an improvement on last years half-cocked season, the league will still not resemble what it … Continue reading RFU Championship: The stakes have been raised

Written by Rugby Blindside Reset and rebuild were the words used by Nigel Melville, Chairman of the Premiership Rugby Investor Board, after the RFU Council voted in favour of the COVID Recovery Plan. The plan, which is ‘aimed at improving … Continue reading Reset and rebuild

Professional club rugby is at a crossroads. The game is growing slowly, but the constant comparison with football’s Premier League provides a dim view on its progress. Currently the British and Irish game is divided and there is a competitive … Continue reading A new look for British & Irish club rugby