Advertisement

Steve Borthwick calls for clubs to be better rewarded for producing internationals

Steve Borthwick, the Leicester Tigers director of rugby, looks on prior to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Leicester Tigers and London Irish at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium on November 27, 2022 in Leicester, England.
Steve Borthwick, the Leicester Tigers director of rugby, looks on prior to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Leicester Tigers and London Irish at Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium on November 27, 2022 in Leicester, England.

Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick has called for Premiership salary cap regulations to be altered in order for clubs to be better rewarded for producing internationals.

Current rules stipulate that each club is entitled to an aggregate of £400,000 in credits for contributing players to the Rugby Football Union’s Elite Player Squad.

However, in the wake of his side’s 33-31 victory over London Irish on Sunday, Borthwick suggested that more could be done to encourage teams to develop their players into internationals.

Tigers had three players in England’s match-day 23 to face South Africa last weekend in Jack van Poortvliet, Freddie Steward and Ben Youngs. Guy Porter was a travelling reserve, meaning he joined the warm-ups at Twickenham before coming off the bench for Leicester against Irish the following day.

Nine of England’s last 30 Test debutants have been representing Tigers at the time of being blooded by Eddie Jones: George Martin, Joe Heyes, Freddie Steward, Harry Wells, Dan Kelly, Nic Dolly, Ollie Chessum, Jack van Poortvliet and Porter.

All of them remain at the club, with only Martin being selected for England before the arrival of Borthwick at Leicester.

Nic Dolly of England poses for a photo with his first England Cap following the Autumn Nations Series match between England and South Africa at Twickenham Stadium on November 20, 2021 in London, England. - Dan Mullan - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images
Nic Dolly of England poses for a photo with his first England Cap following the Autumn Nations Series match between England and South Africa at Twickenham Stadium on November 20, 2021 in London, England. - Dan Mullan - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images

Borthwick highlighted that other players have emerged for different nations in the recent past, notably Tommy Reffell of Wales and Jasper Wiese of South Africa.

“From my point of view, as a coach, I want players to develop,” Borthwick told talkSPORT on Sunday.

“I want to coach them, and hopefully I play a small part in their objectives. That is something I take an awful lot of enjoyment from, so I want players to come here and become internationals.

“You’ve seen over the past two years that players have come to Leicester Tigers and got caps: Nic Dolly, Joe Heyes, Ollie Chessum, George Martin, Jasper Wiese, Jack van Poortvliet, Freddie Steward, Guy Porter., Tommy Reffell, Harry Wells.

“There will be players I’ve missed, and players that have got back into their international teams, like Matt Scott [of Scotland]. We want to produce high-quality players. We want to produce internationals.

“I think what needs to be considered is the credit system within the salary cap structure for producing internationals. You want to make sure that clubs are encouraged to do so. We want to do so.”

At the moment, the Premiership salary cap has a ceiling of £5 million, plus a maximum of £1.4m in credits. It is due to rise again ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

“The salary cap is kept under constant review which includes the level of the credit system which is designed to develop home grown talent and create space for players absent on international duty,” said a Premiership Rugby spokesperson.

Earlier this year, ahead of England’s tour of Australia, Jones praised Borthwick, reportedly a contender to replace him, for his ability to prepare players for the international arena.

“They are all fit, they are all committed and they know how to play Test match rugby,” Jones said of his Tigers contingent on the verge of that trip.

“They are the champion team, they are performing at their best, they have beaten everyone else and there is a reason they have beaten everyone else.”

“He’s got a good environment at his club,” Jones added of Borthwick. “It’s really hard-working and a good balance of fun as well.”