RFU agree £220m deal for their Premiership clubs

[johnmac99]

Looks like a new deal has been agreed over 8 years

http://www.therugbypaper.co.uk/feat...-agree-220m-deal-for-their-premiership-clubs/

While sticking points remain, such as the redrawing of academy boundaries following the relocations of Wasps and Saracens, the £27.5m-a-year deal will enable individual clubs to rake in well in excess of £2m in RFU funding each season.

With TV and sponsorship money worth £4.1m-a-year on top, clubs can budget on receiving over £6m per annum from season 2016-17 â€" if they meet RFU criteria.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Can someone explain (preferably in words of less than one syllable) what the significance of academy borders is? Quite a lot of Cornish lads have ended up at Tigers, passing Exeter, Bath, Bristol, Gloucester and Worcester en route.

 

[Which Tyler]

My understanding is that each academy gets first choice on players living within their border.
Anyone they pass on, or potentially, who have 2 home addresses (eg parental divorce, or boarding school / university) get to choose - if anyone will have them.
Of course, they can also be offered a higher contract by another academy as well, but there are fines involved for trying.

A few Bath-centric examples.
Henry Thomas, went to Uni in Manchester, and joined Sale's academy.
Billy Burns quit Bath and moved to Gloucester when the family considered that Bath had tried to screw-over Freddie.
Alex Goode born and bred in East Anglia started in Bath's academy whilst at boarding school; moved to Saracens when he changed school for A-levels (I think)