Basic Scheduling Question

[Trachten]

Sorry for the basic question, but I'm new to rugby and I'm not clear on how scheduling works for players that are on their country's national team.

To take England for example, it looks to me like the Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup games for any particular provencial team are scheduled on different weeks. Furthermore it looks like there is a break in the Heineken Cup to allow for Six Nations games. However the Six Nations and Premiership games seem to go on at the same time (eg. England on Feb 12 2011 and Leicester on Feb 13 2011).

Do the provencial teams just lose some of their best players when there is this sort of conflict?

 

[BRSTLDRGN]

Releasing players for International games is a complex procedure and never is everyone happy with it. Therefore there is no "basic" sheduling answer.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Do the provencial teams just lose some of their best players when there is this sort of conflict?

Yup,
In England the Premiership teams are contracted to release players that are selected for international duty for matches and training camps. (I think anyway, I've always thought this was the way, but can't actually find anything to back this up :S )

 

[alex]

Sorry for the basic question, but I'm new to rugby and I'm not clear on how scheduling works for players that are on their country's national team.

To take England for example, it looks to me like the Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup games for any particular provencial team are scheduled on different weeks. Furthermore it looks like there is a break in the Heineken Cup to allow for Six Nations games. However the Six Nations and Premiership games seem to go on at the same time (eg. England on Feb 12 2011 and Leicester on Feb 13 2011).

Do the provencial teams just lose some of their best players when there is this sort of conflict?

not with the current coach/selector.

 

[DuncTheDoodle]

Heinkein Cup games are played for two weekends in October, two in November and two in January, then the quater- semi- and final(s) take place post-Six Nations, and all other leagues (Aviva Premiership, Magners League, etc.) take a break during HEC weekends. This is so it doesn't class the International 'Windows' during November, Febuary/March/Start of April and June, meaning the best players can play during these, because they're not needed for their country. However, because the Premiership runs through the rest of the year, they have to play through international periods in order to fit all the nessecary games in, so they may well lose their best players for points in the tournement, although this gives younger/fringe players a shot at making it into the First XV.

I hope I've answered the other bits of your question.

 

[Iron Mike]

Yup,
In England the Premiership teams are contracted to release players that are selected for international duty for matches and training camps. (I think anyway, I've always thought this was the way, but can't actually find anything to back this up :S )

This is only written into the contract if playing in England. This is why the management don't like it if players go play in France or anywhere else, because the RFU (England rugby body) has no say over the contract and can't put things into it, where as when they play in England even if you have no chance of actually making the team it has to be on every single contract that you can be released for England international duty.

 

[smartcooky]

The other thing to consider is that the England selectors have to name an elite squad of players, and cannot go outside that squad for any reason other than injury (e.g. loss of form, personal circumstances, scheduled surgery etc), without negotiation with the club that owns the player.

The system is different in New Zealand and Australia, where the players are under a "central contract" to their National Union (NZRU or ARU) that takes precedence over any contract with the Super 14 Franchise, State, Province or Club. National selectors can simply call up a player and their domestic team has to make do without them.

 

[smartcooky]

I should add that the RFU (that is the England Rugby Football Union) pays the clubs for their players' services.


(note: sorry about the double-post mods. I would have edited my last post, but we still cannot edit posts in the General section or its subforums.)