The IRFU last week announced a change to the central contract system that has underpinned Irish rugby’s success in the professional era, with provinces now expected to foot 40% of the salary bill of players on central contracts, with the IRFU saying the money saved will go towards investing in the three provinces outside of Leinster.
On this week’s podcast, Sinéad and Gavin discuss the IRFU’s policy change, and whether its an admission the central contract system has failed. To what extent have the IRFU placed a thumb on the scale to further help Leinster, or is Leinster’s dominance an inevitable result of Irish rugby finding the best way to success? Are Leinster’s advantages unfair to the rest of Irish rugby, or should the other provinces pull up their socks? Have Joe Schmidt and Andy Farrell been wrong to pick so many Leinster players for the Irish team?
What kind of problems will arise across Irish rugby if the inequalities are not addressed? And does this policy change go far enough - or is something more radical needed?
Get in touch - gavincooney@the42.ie and sinead@thejournal.ie
This week’s episode of The42 FM is brought to you by An Post Money