Ben Earl hasn’t always hit the nail on the head.
In March, after England were beaten by Italy for the first time in Six Nations history, the forward’s comment that his team ‘played pretty well’ was at best wide of the mark and at worst badly deluded. This time, however, Earl isn’t wrong.
His assessment of England’s summer schedule as ‘brutal’ and his call for Nations Championship reform were refreshingly honest and a rare example of a leading figure in Test rugby being prepared to say it as it is.
Over the course of the past three weeks, England have played South Africa, Fiji and Argentina in Johannesburg, Liverpool and Santiago del Estero respectively. Three matches, three consecutive Saturdays, three different continents. Miles travelled? 25,000. Number of flights? Eight. No wonder the players are knackered.
‘It’s been brutal. There’s no two ways about it,’ England No 8 Earl said. ‘It’s been tough coming at the end of what’s been quite a long season anyway. It has seemed a bit weird but it’s just something we’re going to have to get used to because it’s just the beginning. We just get told where to go and where to play.’
Unfortunately, Earl is right there, too.
Ben Earl gives his all during his side’s victory over Argentina on Saturday, England’s third match in as many weeks on three different continents
Tom Curry, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Marcus Smith and Tommy Freeman of England enjoy a well-earned sit down after the win over Argentina
It is unlikely the Nations Championship – which was introduced for the first time this summer and will conclude in November – is going anywhere. It is slated to take place biannually and the £90million broadcast deal its organisers struck with ITV has undoubtedly raised significant revenue for the game.
But at what cost to those who take to the field? Asking players such as Earl to finish what has already been a tough campaign by flogging themselves around the world simply does not marry up with World Rugby’s claim that player welfare is their ‘No 1 priority’. If it was, the players would be looked after better. Good on Earl for calling out this important issue.
Other players and coaches have failed to do so, afraid of rocking the boat and antagonising the Six Nations and SANZAAR (a consortium of the South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina governing bodies), who run the new competition.
The Nations Championship has been introduced as a means of packaging traditional summer and autumn fixtures into a cross-hemisphere competition, replacing traditional tours. The next set of fixtures will take place across Europe in November and will conclude with a finals weekend at Twickenham.
I believe there is sporting merit in the tournament. However, on the evidence of the first three rounds, it is asking too much of the players. Further, it is clear that the demands are tougher for those from the northern hemisphere.
The travel demands England have been put through this summer have been significant, the huge amount of time spent in the air leaving Steve Borthwick’s side little time to train ahead of the rigours of Test rugby. They have not been the only ones. Wales have been from Cardiff to Argentina and then South Africa. How can you expect players to perform at their best on such a schedule?
It’s impossible. When New Zealand arrive in the north this November, they will face Scotland, Wales and England. For South Africa, it’s Italy, France and Ireland. No long-haul flights between games. It is clearly not a level playing field for the 12 competing teams.
‘Why would we not all be playing in one country?’ Earl said. ‘So, you just don’t travel, you go to one nation and have that festival feel. But I’m not paid to make those decisions.’
Noah Caluori scores against Fiji for England who have been flying here, there and everywhere over the last three weeks
England started off their Nations Championship with a tough match against South Africa at altitude in Johannesburg
Earl’s suggestion is sensible, but unlikely to happen for commercial reasons – countries won’t give up home internationals lightly when sponsors have paid big bucks to be seen.
When Daily Mail Sport raised concerns about the Nations Championship’s logistics and player welfare back in February, we were given a rebuke from its organisers. We were told the demands weren’t higher than previous years, that travel concerns had been listened to and that support – such as chartered planes – had been laid on. The message was clear – nothing to see here.
But now stars such as Earl have spoken up, things are different. Without the players, there is no game and too much is being asked of rugby’s top commodity.
Maro Itoje and Tommy Freeman have both exceeded English rugby’s 30-game-a-season limit in the past. Itoje had to be rested totally this summer. Henry Slade passed the 30-match cap in the season just finished. Earl finished 2025 with the Lions in Australia on August 2. This year, it was July 19 in the backwaters of Argentina.
Earl and his team-mates will now get five weeks off to try to recuperate before going to the well again. But it is not sustainable in the long-term. Earl has put the ball in the court of rugby’s organisers – and good on him. But will his concerns be heard?
You really have to hope so.
