All this talk of Salary caps recently is new money for old rope.
The argument has raged for years between the have and have-not clubs. This salary cap was brought in as a knee-jerk counter measure when Newcastle Gosforth became champions. Not because there was any objection to Newcastle winning games – On the contrary that was brilliant for English rugby. Long before everyone talked of Arab Oil Billionaires and the Russian Mafia buying the Premier League football ***les, Newcastle were the original Chelsea.
A historically middle of the road team, occasionally punching above their weight but never threatening the equilibrium, suddenly with more money then they know what to do with and some ambition to turn things around fast. The first fully pro team with the money and resources, Newcastle immediately found themselves winning the old 2nd division then blitzing the Allied Dunbar Premiership, winning 19 out of 22 games.
This rattled many cages, not least Nigel Wray who was buying players at a similar rate with Saracens, causing the Union to step in and incur a wage cap on the teams to stop the millions of Wray and Hall turning the still mostly amateur (professional to most clubs by name alone) sport into a private plaything.
John Hall sold now renamed Newcastle Falcons to David Thompson in 1999 and they've competitively never been heard from since. Saracens, also stung by the wage cap, fell back in the pecking order as the other clubs began to build themselves back up the rankings.
The idea behind the salary cap was a good one and served its purpose – A pro-sport in its infancy was given a training-bra for living in the same world as £5000 per night escort pro-soccer, allowing it to grow in the test arena whist retaining its ethos at club level.
Sadly however this idea was never developed as the game did, so now we find we're at a crossroads when the game had too long living by what was ordained "correct" 15 years ago.
We are now have several clubs turning a regular profit (namely Leicester, Northampton and Gloucester), some who tread-water but still just about break even (Exeter, Worcester, Bath, Quins etc.) and some who haemorrhage money like a muck spreader outside an MPs country cottage (Saracens, Wasps, Newcastle).
What's been forgotten is the cap was designed to stop these clubs going but in a futile attempt to keep up with the sugar daddies at Saracens and Newcastle in the mid 90's. Typical of Labours nanny state, they weren't allowed to make their own mistakes.
15 years later however and it is shown that there are clubs which will build a fanbase substantial enough to create viable business plans.
In a world were we are now seeing the French super clubs (who don't forget were allowed to grow when they turned pro at the same time) offer players up to a million pounds per season now. £1,000,000. Per Season.
Yet the English clubs are supposed to compete in the Heineken Cup with these teams. In other words, Olly Barkley is supposed to compete with Dan Carter.
It's no wonder so many Englishmen now live in France.
This has a direct knock on effect however to the England setup. Now the RFU has decided to only pick players based in England, players are effectively being told they can either set themselves up for life doing something they love of a ton of cash or take a lower pay-cheque to play for England.
Sorry, but I know what I'd pick.
If the English club are not let off the leash soon, we will fall behind the rest of Europe so far that it will take entire generations to fix the problem.
If the star power is allowed to play in England – Your Dan Carters of this world – by meaning the clubs could afford to bring these guys along with affording a whole squad next to them, this will pull in the fanbase. The fanbase expands, the game gets bigger. The game gets bigger. The game gets bigger, the more people play. The more people play, the more talent available. The more talent available, the better the talent available. The better the talent available, more England have to choose from and the less need there is for the foreign talent in the league anyway.
It's not difficult.
Yes it is likely a few clubs will suffer their own short term greed, but they're big boys and should be allowed to make their own mistakes. The game will develop if the shackles are released.
To use clichés:
You can't make omelettes without breaking eggs.
And,
A caged bird will never sing loudly as a free bird.
Laters.
