League Notes: Rugby Football Union Reassures Players Over Workload

The Rugby Football Union "moved to reassure players that their voices will be listened to" after player Joe Marler became the "latest to speak of possible strike action over putative plans to extend the season to 11 months." There is "growing disquiet" among leading figures over the possibility of the revamped domestic program in the '19-20 season running from September to June, with int'l matches to be played in July. There are "no detailed plans yet in place as to how the calendar will be put together" (London TELEGRAPH, 9/17).

Rugby World Cup Tournament Dir Alan Gilpin said that Japan "needs to get a move on, particularly in their selection of training fields." World Rugby concluded its third set of tournament review meetings in Tokyo this weekend, "as the two-year countdown to the tournament draws closer." Since the last round of meetings in June, the focus of tournament preparation "moved from foundation planning to operational readiness" (STUFF, 9/17).