Rugby Football Union should revise new selection policy, says Richard Cockerill
Leicester director of rugby and former England hooker Richard Cockerill believes that the Rugby Football Union should reconsider its decision to render overseas-based players ineligible for selection in England’s national team,
as he is of the view that playing in France is beneficial for English players – and consequently for English rugby.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) recently announced that it would only select domestic-league players for England’s 2015 FIFA World Cup squad.
But Cockerill, who also played for French club Montferrand for two years, fully supports rugby players gaining experience in foreign clubs, particularly in France. He believes time spent in France provides players a sort of education,
as “things are done a different way and so you bring different experiences to the game.”
"Jonny Wilkinson has been a better player and made a great recovery from all his injuries by going to Toulon," said Cockerill, citing names of English players who have benefited from their time playing for French clubs. “Steve
Thompson has done really well after going to Brive, Tom Palmer went to Stade Francais having dropped off the England radar and he has played some really good stuff since.”
The RFU, however, has thus far refused to budge from its stance, even though the new policy could rule out many important players from the World Cup. Star fly-half Wilkinson, for example, who was perhaps the key player behind England’s
2003 World Cup win, is expected to renew his contract with Toulon.
"We have made our position clear on this,” said a spokesman for the RFU. “It is a free decision for the players but those who will be picked for the elite player squad in January 2012 will be the players the manager thinks will
offer the most to the England team, taking into account where they are playing their club rugby."
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