If I were an english kid I'd have Johnny "Fragile" Wilkinson and Danny "What did you say!!" Grewcock to look up to along with only a handful of others.[/b]
I'm sorry, I'm going to try and do this without being rude, but you cannot possibly say that unless you live and breathe in the club environment over here.
There will always be local heroes, and by this I don't mean the players you see going on to represent England.
At Northampton for example we have one guy who has come up through the academy, played for a well known local amateur club, is only about 3ft 2", but plays his heart out every time he is on the pitch. He has the unquestionable respect of everyone involved in the club even though he will never be a superstar at the highest level. Ben Cohen and Steve Thompson were the same before they hit the top of the world game.
Having privately run clubs rather than franchises will always breed these types of players. They never gain the accolades of your Wilkinsons or Jason Robinsons, but they will always receive adoration from the true fans of the English game for their unswerving commitment to the cause.