Hopley concerned by crocked England
Steve Thompson has become the latest top player confined to the sidelines
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Tuesday, 26, Sep 2006 09:54
Damien Hopley has blamed the way rugby union in England is structured for a rash of injuries that left over half the national squad unable to train.
Andy Robinson's men are preparing to take on Tri-nations champions New Zealand at Twickenham on November 5th, but 23 of the 40-strong elite group were forced to sit out the first day of a training camp at Loughborough University.
Hopley, as chief executive of the Professional Rugby Players' Association, believes that the strain of club campaigns in the Guinness Premiership and Europe has left his members vulnerable to injury.
Northampton hooker Steve Thompson became the latest man to join the treatment-room queue after sustaining a calf tear in Saturday's match against Gloucester.
"Player welfare is a fundamental matter. Quality time is being compromised. We're asking a lot of our elite players. Perhaps we're asking too much," he said.
Unlike in the southern hemisphere where national unions have centrally contracted their stars to make international rugby an absolute priority, England's elite have often-conflicting obligations to both club and country.
"We know it's a big issue and it's really up to us and employers - both the rugby union and the clubs - to look at how we can address this and come up with a better structure which reduces the risk to the players," Hopley told BBC Sport.