Prem Rugby: Top bosses call on England to limit player workload

England’s top stars are playing too much rugby, but the responsibility of resting players shouldn’t just fall on the clubs, according to the Prem’s leading coaches.

While a leading England player could be in action for 11 months of the year, there are mandatory game limits and rest periods in the agreement between the clubs and the Rugby Football Union.

However club bosses believe there needs to be a balance regarding when a player is stood down, and say the prospect of England captain Maro Itoje resting this summer is a “step forward”.

“It can’t always be the clubs holding the burden,” said Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson.

“Sometimes the international side has to also say [a player] doesn’t need to play in this game or that game.”

Itoje, who could miss this summer’s Test matches against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, has had a physically and emotionally draining 12 months, going back to when he led the British and Irish Lions in Australia last summer.

Speaking on a special episode of the Rugby Union Weekly podcast, Dowson, who coaches a cohort of England’s best young players, says club and country need to take a long-term view when it comes to player workload.

“I think [resting Itoje] will show really astute man-management in terms of someone who has played loads of minutes,” added Dowson.

“We want [our players] to play for the Saints in four years’ time. We don’t want to run Tommy Freeman into the ground. There has to be a negotiation and a relationship and a balance as to how many minutes they play and how many games they play.

“If Henry Pollock goes over his 30-game limit, is it entirely my responsibility to rest him going forward? There has to be talk around, actually, what is best for Henry?

“We’ve just got to be cognisant of the fact we are looking at eight years, not eight months.”