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6 days ago
15
Rob Baxter has warned that English club rugby risks being undermined if the proposed R360 rebel league goes ahead. Exeter have just welcomed the top-class Australian centre Len Ikitau to Sandy Park and the Chiefs director of rugby believes the Prem will suffer a significant hit if such outstanding talent is diverted elsewhere.
The R360 concept has suffered a series of recent setbacks with the world’s leading unions making clear that players who sign up will be forfeiting their international careers. Baxter, however, believes rugby should be primarily focused on improving its existing competitions.
“We don’t want the best players in the competition not playing for us or the teams playing against us,” said Baxter, who takes his unbeaten Chiefs side to Bristol on Saturday. “I want us to be attractive to players like Len Ikitau and [fellow Wallaby signing] Tom Hooper and for them to think they’re playing in a frontline competition.
“For me we’ve got a very good competition here. Our responsibility is to improve the product we’ve got. Another competition doesn’t create more interest, creating a better game does. Throwing in other competitions might feel like a great fix [but] I don’t know that it is because the game still has to be attractive for people to come and watch.”
Ikitau, 27, who has signed for Exeter for this season, has made clear he wants to represent the Wallabies at the 2027 Rugby World Cup but Baxter accepts a lucrative R360 deal might be attractive to some older players. “Is it an opportunity for a group of players post their international careers? Potentially. But I don’t know if that’s what’s going to make it an attractive competition.
“I know we’re hearing all sorts of things about why it might be good for players because of fewer games and player welfare. It’s almost like they’re ignoring the huge travel issues. There won’t be any training bases, is it going to be a transient medical setup? All the details around that part of things are very loose.”
Baxter, meanwhile, believes the Prem has the potential to become an even better product following an unsettling period dominated by concerns around how best to minimise head injuries. “We had a big panic on, didn’t we, and tried to remove the physicality and gladiatorial element almost entirely from the game.
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“Personally, when you actually look at the stats around concussions and head injuries, I don’t expect they’ll have changed very much. We’re starting to actually realise that red cards for non-deliberate actions are no way to run a sport. We’re now talking about promoting the physicality and the competitiveness of the Premiership because we’ve realised that’s what people actually want to watch.
“Yes, people love tries but games need to have an element of everything. The contest, the physicality, the skill and the speed … you can’t try and create a game based on one thing. Without some physicality, wear and tear and some endurance battles you don’t create space for anybody so you don’t get either game. I think we’re starting to address it now. It’s starting to come full circle.”
