JEFF PROBYN
A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME

England leaders: Maro Itoje and Jamie George and, inset, Bill Sweeney
PICTURES: Getty Images

THE unexpected offer of a £30 million payout to the community game for the next four years to help mend the financial problems, caused when the RFU unexpectedly withdrew grassroots funding a few years back, sounds great.
The funding was taken away as a result of the Rugby World Cup costs, and the lack of autumn fixtures meant the RFU didn’t have enough funds to pay the Premiership the agreed Professional Game Agreement (PGA) contracte...