The former England captain Jason Robinson has urged the Rugby Football Union to increase its efforts to promote rugby in deprived areas, saying there is “a talent pool the game is missing out on”.
Robinson, who in 2004 became the first black player to lead the men’s national side, was raised in a single‑parent family in a poor area of Leeds and became one of England’s finest attacking talents.
In Around the World in 80 Minutes, a new book by the Guardian’s rugby correspondent Robert Kitson, Robinson said: “I believe England should do a lot more in terms of going into areas where the game is not played. If it wasn’t for my schoolteacher, I wouldn’t have got into rugby.
“I never knew my father, my mum was a cleaner, my brother was a heroin addict. There were just so many challenges growing up … I look back and think: ‘Wow’. To have come from where I did, to become captain of the England rugby team was a huge honour.”
In 2018 Robinson founded JR Sports Stars, a programme that encourages schoolchildren to participate in sport. Last year the RFU rebuked Eddie Jones after the then head coach stated his belief that England’s private school system produces “closeted” players who lack leadership skills. The majority of England’s 33-man Rugby World Cup squad are privately educated.
Robinson said: “I’m so passionate now about going back into deprived areas to inspire kids. If I’ve been able to do what I’ve done, surely there have to be more kids in there who could potentially be something? There’s a talent pool the game is missing out on.”
Robinson, who switched codes from rugby league to union in 2000, and whose score against Australia in 2003 remains England’s only try in a Rugby World Cup final, also believes the colour of his skin made it harder for him to progress. “I know as a black player that I’ve had to work so much harder than my white mates. It’s always hard saying it … but people don’t see you in your true light because you don’t get the full credit.”
Last year the RFU apologised to Luther Burrell, another former England player, for racism he experienced during his career, and in April the governing body published a new inclusion and diversity action plan.
Responding to Robinson’s comments, an RFU spokesperson said: “Inclusivity is critical to our purpose and the RFU has a history of active engagement to bring rugby to targeted demographics. We acknowledge there is more work to be done in building an inclusive culture and greater diversity within rugby, and the support of influential figures such as Jason Robinson is really valuable.”
Meanwhile, George Ford says England are working hard on their attack before the warm-up match against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday. Recent games against Wales – a defeat in Cardiff and a narrow victory at Twickenham last Saturday – have been characterised by a lack of attacking fluency from Steve Borthwick’s side, but the Sale fly-half believes progress is being made.
“Let me reassure you, we are working hard on it and we want to be more dangerous with the ball,” Ford said. “We know there’s an urgency that we need to start attacking better … we’ve got good clarity on what we want to do, it’s doing it on the training field … and getting it out there at the weekend.”
