AT A time when star players are under increasing pressure to deliver, Rugby Players Association chairman Mark Lambert has urged Premiership Rugby and the RFU to fully engage with his organisation in discussions over the future of the game.
Lambert says the RPA were not consulted over last week's bid by equity firm CVC for a £275m stake in Premiership Rugby, which was rejected by the 13 clubs.
However, with Premiership bosses now ramping up their efforts to attract external investment which will have significant ramifications in terms of competition structure, squad sizes and salaries, Harlequins prop Lambert insists players must have a voice.
Lambert told The Rugby Paper: “We didn't have any involvement in talks (over CVC). Those decisions are made by owners and chief executives of clubs, but there are obviously ramifications about the way the game's run which are potentially going to impact on players and player welfare and we'd hope to be consulted in future.
“The game's never been so proactive towards players in terms of physical welfare, mental health and player load. However, the flipside is the game is more challenging.
“It's higher profile, there's more money on the line and it's only logical that as even more money flows into the game, some of that high pressure gets passed on to the players because it's a very resultsdriven business and there are a lot of eyes on you.
“There are elements that concern you and the game is becoming more pressurised and physical, so commercial decisions must take that into account.”
To emphasise the point, Lambert teamed-up on World Suicide Prevention with Quins colleagues Joe Marler, Danny Care and Dave Ward in an emotive video to encourage men to talk more openly about any mental health issues they have.
The Harlequins Foundation have formed a new long-term link with the Movember Foundation with a view to helping struggling players.
Lambert said: “The headline- grabbing part of rugby is its physicality but it's becoming more cut-throat and there are a broad range of issues facing players.
“There's more movement of players and guys are struggling for contracts in the later stages of seasons and it's a relatively short career. When you throw in things like injuries and selection on top of the pressure of winning, there are a lot of triggers from a mental health perspective.
“If Joe and Danny talk about their issues, hopefully it's encourages others to do the same if they're struggling.”
To find out more about the ‘Man of More Words' campaign and how you can effectively help men open up visit www.movember.com/iwanttoask
