Callard calls for a Draft

http://www.espnscrum.com/england/rugby/story/175978.html


I think an NFL style draft in england, with a ringfenced premiership, would be an excellent idea. Young players would get more gametime to develop, and it would make the league more competitive.

What do you guys think?

In one way I can see the sense of ensuring younger players are getting game time, but I feel this would be far to costly to implement and ultimately could be detrimental to development. With a draft system the clubs would have no ownership of any player they bring through the early stages of their academy, i.e. 14 onwards. If this were the case, why would clubs invest anytime in scouting and school training if the RFU could then take their investment and give it to a rival? Of course, at this young an age there are no contracts, etc so this could still happen, but at least the clubs stand a chance of building loyalty and future players. For this draft system to work the RFU would have to fund the entire process and ultimately I feel without clubs being the key stakeholder player development could suffer.

Personally, I feel there needs to be more loans between clubs to allow development. For example, Jamie George needs to be getting regular game time and a season up at Newcastle, for example, would fit their need for a hooker and give him the much needed game time. Perhaps the RFU could step in to help the funding in these situations. So for example help Sarries secure a year long cover for George that would not leave them depleted.

As for ring fencing, I am completely against the idea at Premiership level. All games are competitive and that's what I fork out my season ticket money for. I can see the sense in ring fencing the Championship for a period of years to build more financial stability with teams with genuine aspirations.

There's a lot to be said for that kind of system but you have to remember that American sports are inactive very different position to most others. They have absolute dominance in home player quality, domestic league quality and the ability to pay. Not to mention what amounts to a fully professional self funding college sports system and no meaningful international competition.
They have a very cosy system that enables investors tongue money in with a relatively secure return and control player wages by being the only viable employer ( although they still get lock outs) for the top stars.
Simply dumping a franchise and draft on the English infrastructure does not account for fundamental differences in the environments that rugby clubs and nfl teams operate in

HKC

I think the loyalty issue is a big one, but there are a number of ways you can overcome that.

Giving players the option to vito a draft they feel won't work for them (not allowing them to pick their club but vito one offer)

Also all the drafts don't have to be national, they can be regional too, so every team gets 1 national and 3 regional drafts.
Also if you take the pressure of jusior rugby off the clubs and put it on the Schools and colleges you will find the standard of coaching and players rise! Most players play under 4/5 coaches before they hit 16 and one of those coaches as a standard will be any good. If a rugby coach is employed in schools the players will play under one fully qualified and solid coach!!!

I would def be against ring fencing also, 1 team has to go down. The issues are what becomes of the 1st or 2nd draft players once that team goes down, maybe some sort of transfer list where draft picks could take one from could be used?

The cost involved would be the big issue but after seeing what the NFL does it is actually a big money spinner. During the draft period some of the hottest young prospects are brought to perform physiological and technical drills in a stadium in front of a stand of scout/selectors. This is televised, sponsored and makes a ton of money!! If the RFU follow an NFL model but doesn't act as frivilous as the NFL it is possible to fund and set up!!