Concerns Raised Over Insufficient Preparation for International Players Returning from Summer Tours

Saracens’ director of rugby, Mark McCall, has voiced strong concerns over the current player welfare guidelines, arguing that they have left international players unprepared for the new Premiership season. The regulations, established by the Professional Rugby Board as part of the club-country agreement, require England players who participated in summer tours of Argentina and the United States to take a mandatory 10-week break. This has limited their availability in the early rounds of the Premiership and Prem Cup, with some players only returning for the third round of the season.

McCall believes this has left key international players, such as England’s Tom Willis and Scotland’s Fergus Burke, unprepared for the physical and tactical demands of the Premiership. He pointed out that some clubs, like Bath, have opted to play pre-season friendlies and field youth teams in the Prem Cup to help players gain match fitness. However, McCall argues that this should not be necessary and that the rules are creating an unfair advantage for clubs that find loopholes.

The 10-week rest period was agreed upon in March to ensure players have sufficient recovery time after the summer tours. However, McCall and others in the Premiership have raised concerns that the regulations may be counterproductive, as several players, including England and Lions captain Maro Itoje and Saracens’ Ben Earl, have exceeded the 30-match limit, suggesting they are already overburdened.

Owen Farrell, who missed significant time with Racing 92 due to injury, was granted a dispensation to start the season with Saracens. It is understood that he could have also played in the Prem Cup. McCall emphasized that while some clubs have found ways to circumvent the rules, he believes the system needs to be re-evaluated to ensure players are adequately prepared for the demands of the Premiership.

Other Premiership coaches, such as Northampton’s Phil Dowson and Sale’s Alex Sanderson, have echoed similar concerns, noting that international players struggled in their early matches due to a lack of game time. Sanderson specifically mentioned that his team’s performance in the opening game against Gloucester was affected by the inexperience of some internationals, who made poor decisions and struggled with execution.

The debate over player welfare and preparation is expected to remain a key topic among coaches and administrators as the season progresses. With the British & Irish Lions’ players not available until the third round of the Premiership, due to their Test match against Australia on 2 August, the issue of balancing recovery with readiness has become increasingly apparent.

McCall’s comments come amid growing calls for a re-evaluation of the welfare guidelines, with some arguing that the current system may be harming the competitive balance of the Premiership and the long-term health of the players. As the season unfolds, the rugby community will be watching closely to see whether changes are made to address these concerns.