England supremo Clive Woodward is confident that the long running club v country row that has blighted the game in England over recent seasons is finally a thing of the past.

Woodward was speaking at the launch of his new elite player programme that has been brokered by the Rugby Football Union and the country's top clubs under their umbrella Premier Rugby.

The agreement will see the top players released for 20 days' national squad work this season, in addition to normal tried and trusted Test week schedules before every big game.

Starting next Monday, Woodward will see his players for five two-day sessions ahead of the November Test series against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

A one-day December debrief is to be followed by further get-togethers in January and February, prior to England's opening Six Nations Championship appointment with title holders France.

Of the 20 additional agreed days, a small number have been set aside - in October, December and April - for fitness testing, while the whole elite player scheme will be reviewed at the end of each year.

"This agreement was worth waiting for," said Woodward, who attended today's unveiling alongside RFU management board chairman Graeme Cattermole, RFU performance director Chris Spice, Premier Rugby boss Howard Thomas and Professional Rugby Players' Association chief executive Damian Hopley.

"I didn't want to start any training sessions until we had a proper agreement in place.

"I hope there will be no more talk of club versus country in our sport," he added.

"We've seen it in other sports - it has been making the headlines this week - but I believe this is the end of it.

"I will certainly do my bit from the England first team point of view, to work in partnership with the Premiership clubs, from coaching, through to the medical side and administration.

"Partnership is critical. That is the only way we are going to be successful at international level, and also at club level, which means our clubs winning the Heineken Cup and putting displays on in the Zurich Premiership that are fantastic games of rugby.

"I would like to think that other sports will look at this agreement and think it is excellent that a national team and a fantastic club-based game can achieve something workable.

"The detail has taken 12 months to thrash out, but nobody has fallen out. We are still as one, and can move forward to the benefit of all 12 Premiership clubs and the England national team.

"We can all plan properly now - every club, every player - and we can all have meaningful meetings about how we are going to move this thing forward. There are lots of good ideas on the table, covering all sorts of aspects of high-class performance and the creation of world-class players."

Ideally, Woodward wants the Test squad to be free of club commitments on Sundays before the New Zealand game (November 9) and French clash (February 15).

At the moment, Leeds host Saracens and Newcastle on London Irish on November 3, while Leeds entertain Newcastle, Wasps meet Irish and Harlequins play the Sharks on February 9.

"It's not an ideal situation, but we won't be coming down with a sledgehammer," Woodward said.

"If the fixtures are in place and we can't change them, then so be it, but we would also like to think we've got time to try and change those fixtures so they are played on a Friday or Saturday, if we can.

"It does make a massive difference if players have that extra day. If the clubs are prepared to change those games, then fantastic, but if they are not, we will just go with it.

"We have to keep working in partnership to move forward. We certainly won't be penalising any player for representing his club."