Reports this morning indicate that Steve Borthwick’s position as head coach of the England rugby team may be secure, regardless of the team’s performance at the upcoming World Cup.
This is primarily because the Rugby Football Union (RFU) is currently unable to afford the substantial £3 million payout required to terminate his contract.
The prospect of dismissing Borthwick and his coaching staff in the event of a disappointing World Cup campaign is a costly one, potentially reaching a staggering £3 million.
Given the significant expenses already incurred, such as the £500,000 compensation paid to Leicester to acquire Borthwick’s services and the approximately £1.4 million severance package for former coach Eddie Jones, there is a notable reluctance within the RFU to part ways with Borthwick. The financial burden of such a decision is simply too substantial to bear.
‘After paying Leicester something like £500,000 compensation to get Borthwick last year, on top of huge severance [pay of about £1.4m] for [former coach] Eddie Jones, there’s no appetite to sack Borthwick,’ one high-ranking source told the Mail Online.
‘It would be too expensive.’ Another source said: ‘The RFU is on the ropes financially. They are expecting to suffer huge losses over the next couple of years.’
JOIN THE RUCK:
Interestingly, despite these financial constraints, the RFU is offering its players potentially larger bonuses for success at the World Cup than any other governing body.
In the unlikely event that England emerges victorious in France, each player stands to receive a considerable RFU bonus of approximately £212,000.
This figure surpasses the bonuses offered by other federations, with the French team expected to receive around £172,000 per player for a victory, while New Zealand and Australia’s players could see bonuses of up to £100,000 from their respective federations in case of triumph.
The 100 best rugby players in the world:
With less than a fortnight remaining until the commencement of the Rugby World Cup, the rugby specialists at Telegraph Sport have collaboratively assessed and ranked the top 100 players globally.
Presented below is the comprehensive list, starting from the 100th spot and culminating at the first position.
100. Pierre Schoeman (Scotland)
99. Tommaso Menoncello (Italy)
98. Franco Mostert (South Africa)
97. Paul Alo-Emile (Samoa)
96. Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
95 Juan Martín González (Argentina)
94. Jasper Wiese (South Africa)
93. Damian Willemse (South Africa)
92. Mark Telea (New Zealand)
91. Faf de Klerk (South Africa)
90. Handré Pollard (South Africa)
89. James Lowe (Ireland)
88. Jamie Ritchie (Scotland)
87. Paul Willemse (France)
86. Shannon Frizell (New Zealand)
85. Freddie Steward (England)
They wrote: “The best England player to emerge in this four-year cycle, without question. Steward has come a long way from having to ditch a shift in Costa to turn out for Leicester in the Premiership Rugby Cup, to becoming England’s specialist diffuser under the high ball at full-back while hoovering up a number of awards. The potential is enormous, and he should thrive at his first World Cup.”
84. Thibaud Flament (France)
83. Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)
82. Matthieu Jalibert (France)
81.. Jac Morgan (Wales)