Richards plays down club-country rift
August 23, 2002

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Dean Richards has played down the reported rift between the Zurich Premiership club and England supremo Clive Woodward.

The rumblings of discontent surround the implementation of the Rugby Football Union's Elite Player Scheme.

Woodward has meticulously put together a plan for England's World Cup build-up and this includes a proposed 20 extra training days for the country's elite players outside of build up for Tests.

The first of these is scheduled for September 2 but it is not yet sure whether the clubs will release their players.

Such is the stand-off that the RFU have withheld payment to the clubs of a £4m grant for the joint management of the elite players.

"There is a compromise to be reached and I'm sure we will get there," he told The Times. "It's close to being resolved."

The RFU's management board meets today and will hope that an agreement can be reached before the launch of the new Premiership season next Thursday.

"You have to look at Clive's perspective," Richards addedsaid before leaving for Bayonne where Leicester play Biarritz, the French champions, for the Orange Cup tomorrow. "He is gearing everything towards the World Cup and wants as much access to the players as he can. That does make it difficult for us but I don't think there is a cloud over club-country relationships."

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