Breakaway organisation led by England stars agrees four-year contract with RFU

Team England Rugby has Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Joe Marler and Anthony Watson on its board.

BREAKAWAY ORGANISATION: Ellis Genge is one of the leaders of a new group which has successfully negotiated a new agreement between England players and the RFU. Picture: Adam Davy/PA

A breakaway organisation led by England stars has agreed a wide-ranging four-year contract with the Rugby Football Union.

Team England Rugby (TER) is a first-of-its-kind player-led organisation which has England stars Ellis Genge, Jamie George, Maro Itoje, Joe Marler and Anthony Watson on its board.

It has brokered a new Elite Playing Squad (EPS) agreement covering all aspects of playing for the national team, including commercial and welfare considerations.

The deal begins with immediate effect and runs through to 2028.

Maro Itoje is a member of the TER board which has struck the new deal with the RFU (Mike Egerton/PA)

The England men’s team’s fees and commercial deals had previously been negotiated on their behalf by the Rugby Players Association (RPA) but it was announced in January that relationship was ending, with the last RPA-brokered deal ending in the summer.

TER was set up as a not-for-profit organisation in January to represent the team’s collective views on all playing and commercial matters, address welfare concerns, ensure more tailored management of elite players and to work collaboratively with the RFU and other stakeholders towards the growth of the overall game.