Here are the latest rugby headlines on Monday, December 12.
Roberts in running for top England-based role
Former Wales star Jamie Roberts is one of the big names in contention to become the new general secretary of the Rugby Players Association (RPA).
The 94-cap international is in the running to replace former England winger and RPA CEO Damian Hopley, who left the role earlier this year after 24 years in the position.
Roberts is one of five candidates for the job, with ex-players Mike Brown, Christian Day, Matt Garvey and Mark Lambert also all standing for election.
The RPA is the representative body for professional rugby players in England, representing the interests of more than 800 current players in the men's and women's game, as well as more than 400 former players.
Hopley's previous CEO role has been separated into two components, with the commercial and operational aspects of running the business now distinct from the general secretary position for which Roberts is in the running for. If he takes the role, the former centre would work with RPA staff and members to ensure goals set by the players and management boards are being met.
In his supporting statement, Roberts said: "I feel my experiences in the sport on the playing field and off it it both in an academic and personal capacity put me in a good position to understand the needs of the professional rugby player and all that goes with it. I hope to harness those experiences in order to help provide the best environment for players to excel in their craft, be it rugby or other interests.
"Put simply, I wish all players in England have the time of their lives plying their trade at their respective clubs and those fortunate to represent England do so with enormous pride on the European and world stage (except against Wales of course!) From experience, I also strongly believe in providing opportunity for players away from the sport and hope to build on the brilliant work of the RPA thus far."
Players who are part of the RPA can vote for their preferred candidate. Voting started today, Monday, December 12, and closes on Wednesday, January 4, 2023. The winner will be declared on Monday, January 16.
Premiership Rugby to be 'relaunched' in 2024
Premiership Rugby is set to undergo a major transformation as the league looks to recover from a turbulent year which saw Wasps and Worcester automatically relegated after falling into administration.
The league's boss Simon Massie-Taylor has announced that it will essentially "relaunch" in the 2024/25 season after a transitionary year which will see more focus put on financial discipline and re-establishing Premiership Rugby's identity.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Massie-Taylor said that a number of big changes would be made to the league going forward, including the establishment of an independent financial monitoring panel, which will oversee all clubs' finances in a bid to avoid a repeat of what happened to Wasps and Worcester.
A new independently-chaired sporting commission will also be set up to make decisions on behalf of the league, while a new Professional Game Agreement (PGA) will be developed, with focus on the structure of the Championship and restoring promotion and relegation.
There are also plans to grow the league's fanbase, with those behind cricket competition The Hundred joining the league as they look to engage with a new audience.
"It is essentially a relaunch of the league," admitted Massie-Taylor. "We need to start to be moving towards a new system. It needs to look and feel a bit different.
"Events moved quickly when it came to Wasps and Worcester which only reinforced the issues we need to solve. The only real positive of this very sad situation is it has given further momentum to quite a few changes within the system."
He added: "The key words are financial discipline. We need to have much more regular reporting, and you need a system where you have regulations in place that create better discipline. But it is forward-looking as well. Clubs have been supportive of this and see the need for it, and we are in the process of recruiting an independent chair who will do a full review and come up with detailed recommendations."
Wasps and Worcester takeover decisions now 'expected before Christmas'
The RFU is expecting a decision regarding the planned takeovers of relegated Premiership clubs Wasps and Worcester to be made before Christmas after both teams missed the deadline to get deals over the line.
Today, Monday December 12, had initially been set by the union as the deadline for both clubs to complete their takeovers, but this has now been extended, with the RFU telling both clubs they are "flexible" over the new date.
The union is looking to plan ahead for the next Championship season after both Wasps and Worcester were automatically relegated from the Premiership having gone into administration earlier this year. In October, Wasps' administrators accepted an offer from a consortium including members of the Wasps Legends to buy the club, with those at Worcester following suit and agreeing a takeover deal with Atlas Worcester Warriors Rugby Club Ltd.
An RFU spokesperson said: "We continue to work collaboratively with the prospective owners as we undertake full due diligence. The club financial viability group will make a recommendation to the RFU board. We expect a decision ahead of Christmas. We will provide an update then."
Players not behind Jones sacking - Farrell
England captain Owen Farrell has broken his silence on the sacking of Eddie Jones as head coach, branding the decision as "unbelievably disappointing" and claiming that players were not behind his dismissal.
Jones was sacked last week after overseeing England's worst year of results since 2008 and a dismal autumn campaign that saw them lose to Argentina and South Africa, three years after leading his side to the Rugby World Cup final.
He is set to be replaced by Leicester's director of rugby Steve Borthwick with the Six Nations fast approaching and the 2023 World Cup now just nine months away.
Speaking to BBC Sport following Saracens' Heineken Champions Cup win over Edinburgh on Sunday, fly-half Farrell said he believed the coach shouldn't have shouldered all of the blame, describing Jones as one of the best coaches he had ever worked with.
"It's unbelievably disappointing," said Farrell. "Eddie had been a big part of England rugby for a long time now and he has been one of the best coaches I have ever had so, for that, I'm massively thankful. We are disappointed it has finished early and we owe a lot to him. I have been around for a while now and not been around too many changes, both at club and international level. It's not pleasant to go through."
"I don't think it has come from the players," he added. "There is obviously stuff we all want to get better at from the results, but as players you look at yourself and see what you can do."
Sinfield welcomes 'fast-tracked' MND funds after Burrow plea
Kevin Sinfield has welcomed news that £50million worth of funding for motor neurone disease (MND) research is being '"fast-tracked" after criticising the UK Government for failing to release the promised money.
More than a year ago, the UK Government had committed at least £50m to help find new therapies, and eventually a cure, for MND, a condition in which the brain and nerves progressively degenerate. But the Department of Health and Social Care was accused of withholding the research funding following the death of former Scotland rugby international Doddie Weir from MND earlier this month.
Following the former Lions legend's death, the Motor Neurone Disease Association said none of the money promised was in the hands of researchers, with Sinfield's former Leeds Rhinos team-mate Rob Burrow, who was also diagnosed with MND in 2019, criticising ministers, asking: "How many more warriors die before this stupid Government give the £50million they said they would give?"
Sinfield, who recently raised £1.5m for MND charities by completing seven ultra marathons in seven days, had previously questioned why scientists could not access the funding, but has now welcomed Health Secretary Steve Barclay's announcement that he will "slash red tape" to make sure the money goes straight to biomedical research centres.
"Like everyone else, I welcome this development and hope it is the start of further progress in the years ahead," said Sinfield. "The funding of vital research gives the MND community hope for the future and I know every penny will be spent wisely in the search for a cure to this cruel disease."
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