Hastings backs English clubs' claims
Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:23
Former Scotland international Scott Hastings says the English clubs who denied their players leave to join up with the national team last month were completely within their rights.
Ten England-based Scottish international players failed to attend a squad gathering recently and, as a result, the Scottish Rugby Union have made an official appeal to the International Rugby Board regarding the issue.
According to Hasting though, the English clubs were well within their rights and, if [Scotland coach]Frank Hadden and his board have a problem with the system, it is up to them to get the IRB to improve the current regulations.
"Players will only be released five days before an international Test match, not for one-off sessions," the former centre told BBC Sport.
"While the Scottish Rugby Union might complain, that is the law right now.
"If they want to ask for more release for players then it's up the IRB to step in and work out an infrastructure that allows those players to be released," said Hastings.
"When the English clubs are contracting those players directly, times have changed.
"It used to be the goodwill of the clubs releasing the players. Those times are different in the professional age.
"It seems to hamper the game in terms of its progress. Ultimately, maybe we have to sit down and, like [at] an Acas meeting, and thrash it out because it doesn't do the image of the game any good."
The England national team currently has an agreement with the Premiership clubs which allows them more access to their top players. This though is not an issue of goodwill. The English Rugby Football Union pays the clubs for the right to have access to the players outside of the international windows.
