2023-09-09 10:33:13
The England XV is approaching the World Cup and its first meeting against Argentina, on September 9, in a very delicate context. Reigning vice-world champion, the team has suffered a series of setbacks and has just fallen to 8th place in the world rankings. The English rugby championship is also in crisis, with several clubs facing significant financial difficulties.
Published on: 09/09/2023 – 10:33
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“Turment, disaster, catastrophe, disarray, calamity…. We are running out of synonyms for the word crisis”, noted Gerard Meagher, rugby columnist for The Guardian newspaper, in the wake of the defeat conceded, on August 26, by England against Fiji (22-30). The first in the history of the XV de la Rose against this team, and, what is more, in its Twickenham stadium, 13 days before the start of the World Cup in France.
In addition to relegating England to 8th position in the world rankings, just behind Fiji, this slap left its mark on an English group already lacking in confidence. They have lost six of their nine games played in 2023, only managing to top Wales twice and Italy. During the last Six Nations Tournament, they were beaten successively at home by Scotland and then by France, who inflicted on them a humiliating 53 to 10.
These disappointing performances give rise to numerous reservations and criticisms towards coach Steve Borthwick, appointed at the end of 2022. His mission was to put the XV de la Rose back on the right track after the ousting of his predecessor Eddie Jones. After taking it to the World Cup final at the end of 2019, lost to South Africa (12-32), the Australian technical coach saw his team gradually disintegrate, to the point of losing at home against Argentina in November 2022 (29-30).
These same Pumas will be the first opponents of the English in the World Cup, with this highly anticipated duel on the pitch of the Vélodrome stadium in Marseille. This clash is decisive in view of the quarter-finals, Japan or Samoa can also hope to finish in one of the two qualifying places in Pool D. A match for which the English cannot count on their precious opener Owen Farrell and the powerful third-line center Vunipola, both suspended for dangerous tackles.
An English team “in dire straits”
“In 2019, it was a sham World Cup final,” judges former French international Olivier Magne, who has observed an England team in decline for around ten years. She had already experienced a huge disappointment by failing to qualify for the quarter-finals of the 2015 World Cup which took place in England. A first for a host country.
“During the defeat against the French in the last Tournament, we saw a team in dire straits, with players who are no longer at the level. They play restrictive and unattractive rugby which is disastrous,” asserts Olivier Magne. An observation which does not rejoice this former third row who spent two seasons with the London Irish club in the mid-2000s. “Seeing England like this is not good for rugby in general”, adds the one who faced 11 times the English in 89 caps, with a record of six wins and five losses.
He believes that a vast reconstruction project is necessary to restore color to this team lacking momentum. Young people struggle to find their place and breathe life into it. “It is like the domestic championship which is running out of steam. Young English people are not prepared for the demands of professional rugby,” he concludes. And the financial slump into which historic clubs are sinking does not suggest a rapid revival of the English selection.
A championship reduced to 10 clubs
The London Irish club is the latest victim. He is not taking part in the Premiership, the Premiership, this season because he was unable to provide the English Rugby Federation with guarantees on his financial capacities. Fifth in the championship last season, he has a debt estimated at 35 million euros. Two other clubs were dropped from the top flight last season for similar reasons, Wasps and Worcester. The Premiership only has 10 teams left and they no longer compete in European competitions.
This fiasco can be explained in particular by the difficulty for this sport to develop economically in the shadow of disciplines like football. “Rugby is a relatively young professional sport and it remains managed in an amateurish manner, particularly in terms of financing and governance,” explains academic Kieran Maguire, specialist in sports economics, in an interview with the Irish Independent. And added: “His challenge is to succeed in increasing his income while controlling his expenses. But I think there is a certain reluctance.”
However, he has no choice. After attracting the best players in the world, the English championship is entering an era of austerity. Several English internationals have even already chosen to go abroad, notably by joining France. An exodus which should lead English clubs to rely more on players from local training. With the hope of eventually seeing the XV de la Rose regain its spiciness and its place among the best teams in the world. Like in 2003, when they managed to become the first European world champion team. Twenty years later, she is still the only one.
20 teams for a title
#gloomy #overwhelmed #England