Latest Premiership EQP update
After our look in the opening weeks of the season at the English-qualified player numbers that each Aviva Premiership club are deploying, we have continued to monitor the numbers as the season goes on.
The first block of six Premiership games has been completed, whilst two rounds of European competition are also in the books, creating a more significant sample to judge the clubs’ efforts on.
With the target of EQP players per matchday 23 reportedly set at 14 in the new club-country agreement between with Premiership clubs and the Rugby Football Union, just four teams are currently below that set mark in Premiership fixtures.
Both Bristol and Sale are averaging 13.5 EQP players per game, Newcastle are at 13.2 and Worcester bring up the rear with 13.
Although these numbers on the surface aren’t too alarming and seem close to the 14 players per game mark, the longer the season goes on, the more difficult it will be to bring those numbers up and meet the quota required.
If the quote is not met, the clubs in question risk losing a chunk of their annual funding from the RFU.
To Bristol, Worcester and Newcastle, who will all be more concerned with Premiership survival, this may be a small price to pay to ensure their status in England’s elite competition.
However, Bristol excluded, the loss of a portion of their funding would hurt those clubs, as well as Sale, and it should be a concern for their directors of rugby and/or head coaches as the season continues.
The numbers are a lot more promising away from the relegation battle, with the other eight Premiership clubs all meeting and surpassing the mark of 14.
Bath lead the way with an impressive 19.7 EQPs per game and have Exeter and Wasps on their heels, with current marks of 18.3 and 18.2 EQPs respectively.
Leicester (17.2), Harlequins (16.8), Northampton (15.8), Gloucester (15.3) and Saracens (15) make up the rest of the chasing pack. All eight sides would also meet the previous target of 15 from the last deal between club and country.
It is worth nothing, however, that European competition changes the complexion of these numbers.
Worcester, who have struggled to meet the 14 EQP per game mark in the Premiership, have taken a developmental approach to the European Rugby Challenge Cup, choosing to blood academy players and the 21 EQPs they fielded against Enisei-STM is the most by any Premiership club in any competition so far this season.
Likewise, Newcastle fielded 19 EQP players against the Ospreys in their Challenge Cup opener. Fellow quota strugglers Sale and Bristol also improved, selecting 16 and 15 EQPs respectively.
In fact, no Premiership club fielded less than 15 EQPs in the opening round of European competition.
Both Gloucester and Saracens dipped beneath that in the second round of fixtures, fielding 14 EQPs apiece, but that is still a number that meets the quota mark laid out by the RFU.
In stark contrast to the Premiership averages, Worcester and Newcastle lead the way in EQP numbers in European competition, averaging 20.5 and 19 respectively.
When these European numbers are combined with the Premiership ones, the four teams that had been below the required mark of 14 EQPs per game – Bristol, Newcastle, Sale and Worcester – all now meet or surpass that mark.
Sale bring up the rear with 14, followed by Bristol (14.1), Newcastle (14.6) and then Worcester (14.9).
Nothing at the top changes too much, with Bath, Wasps and Exeter still leading the way, but EQP numbers do take a slight dip, as teams may choose to opt for a more experienced import at a position or two in European competition.
We should stress that these numbers are unofficial, they are the product of a research and not officially released figures from the clubs or Premiership Rugby.
We will come back with another update in December, to see the impact that the Anglo-Welsh Cup, a second block of European fixtures and the Test window all have on the figures.
