MECHANICS OF A RUGBY SIGNING

IF YOUR childhood was anything like mine, you will have spent a lot of it playing Football Manager. A large element of the game was wheeling and dealing as you made transfers and completed contract discussions. It gave kids experience of the business of football.

Recently, though, I was asked by a football-loving friend how signings work in rugby. Despite being a fan for more than 20 years I realised I had no idea, so I asked a coach, a head of recruitment and an agent about the mechanics of a signing.

Rugby is still somewhat different to football in that the vast majority of moves happen when a player is out of contact, so there aren’t the transfer fees involved in the round-ball game. But there are still plenty of complexities, such as visa requirements and reference checks…

All in the planning

“As a player you will enter the