by Gregor Townsend has accused Premiership Rugby of undermining the integrity of the Six Nations by demanding the return of its Scottish stars during the tournament’s sensational weeks.
Heading into the Calcutta Cup, Townsend claims England got twice the training time Scotland did after co-captain Finn Russell, captain Andy Christie and substitute Cameron Redpath returned to their Premier League sides during the first a week off despite the league being on break.
That disruption did not prevent Scotland recording their fourth consecutive victory over the Auld Enemy in their 30-21 victory at Murrayfield, but it did not ease the frustration of the Scotland head coach as he prepares to face Russell and others to lose going into the current fall week.
“We didn’t have the best preparation,” Townsend said. “Going into that game today England had double the preparation for us, because our English players are not allowed to train. Even though there are no games in Prison England, even though next week clubs are off for a week, we still don’t have the likes of Finn Russell training with us.
“Two training sessions is all we’ll get as a team going into the England game, but it would have been four, if we’d allowed two weeks, I imagine it will be the same again now. That is a very unfair disadvantage that we have. I don’t think it’s fair to the overall integrity of the competition.”
Under World Rugby Regulation 9, clubs are only obliged to release players in pre-agreed international windows, which do not include Six Nations off weeks. Under the terms of the Professional Match Agreement between Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Football Union, which is worth more than £200 million, the England head coach gets to keep his players in camp during those periods.
Historically there would have been Premiership games during the Six Nations window, but since the league was reduced to 10 teams the competition has been on hiatus from the end of January until March 22, furthering Townsend’s anger. Asked if he thought the stance was obscene, Townsend said: “Absolutely. Especially when they could be spending time with their families, and helping us prepare, but we had to nail this down last week with Richie Simpson running at 10 for us in two sessions, credit him not He played a pro rugby game. , he was playing inside Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones and outside George Horne in preparation, but look, I really want this situation to be better, because it is not right for our players.
“It’s a credit to the players to go into that game today just after two sessions and deliver that performance. Normally regulation nine is that we can only take players from outside Scotland when there is an international training week, and that is to stop players missing club games, but when club competition there it does not make any sense that you are still. not allowing a player to travel up from Bath or anywhere.”
The matter also involves the Welsh Rugby Union, which is privately understood to share Townsend’s frustration, although both unions are free to reach their own compensation agreements. From Premiership Rugby’s point of view, they are abiding by the terms of Regulation 9 and are not going to do the Celtic unions any favors when the RFU pays them handsomely for the same privilege.
“Premiership Rugby has a long-standing agreement with the RFU to release England players to prepare for Test matches,” said a Premiership Rugby spokesman. “According to World Rugby Regulation 9, all International players are released to the Unions in the specified periods and then return to their Premier Division clubs – as has been done in previous campaigns. Although a review of World Rugby Regulation 9 compensation will be undertaken ahead of a new global calendar from 2026, Premiership Rugby will continue to adhere to the regulation as it is.”
World Rugby is also expected to change the defined international periods of Regulation 9 when the new international calendar comes into effect in 2026. Meanwhile, Townsend will be left gritting his teeth that Russell will be forced out again, though that he will be forced to. individual clubs claim they are happy to stay in the Scottish camp.
“We haven’t had any success in the last two weeks getting our players,” Townsend said. “I know it looks more like the release of the players, but the clubs want their players, or they have indicated to us that they want their players to train with us because there are no training sessions, there is no Premier League game for seven and eight weeks. It is still not possible that our co-captain, who was burning the Premiership, will come into the camp for two days of training a week ago, and we will have the same next week.
“When we play England and they don’t let the players go up when England have a camp, I don’t think they will make the change next week for Italy, and if they do, it will be fair. it’s disappointing they didn’t do it this week too.”
