O’Shea faces up to task of resolving structural future for English rugby

It all boils down to the structure that works best for the English national team, future generations of young players and the domestic leagues themselves.

STRUCTURAL FUTURE: Conor O’Shea must untangle the knotty issues of promotion, relegation and player development pathways. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie

Is English rugby making the most of the talent available to it? The question is a direct one and, to Conor O’Shea’s credit, he does not duck it. “The simple answer is no,” replies the Rugby Football Union’s director of performance, sitting in the national squad’s hotel in Bagshot on a Monday morning. In the middle of a Six Nations championship, with a major Calcutta Cup clash looming, the Murrayfield outcome is currently not the only issue focusing minds around Twickenham.

Where to start? Late on Friday the RFU confirmed a six-week deadline has now been set for a workable set of minimum standards to be agreed with those clubs just below the Premiership, with a view to kickstarting a recast second tier in autumn 2025. Along with untangling the knotty issues of promotion, relegation, funding and player development pathways, there has to be a solid basic governance framework underpinning it all. Six weeks? Historically those things have taken years.