Ellis Genge, the England vice-captain, believes that rugby union’s class divide is hampering the sport’s development, as well as its ability to unearth talent.
Genge, who started England’s Six Nations matches against Scotland, Ireland and France at loosehead, has long banged the drum for greater representation and diversity in English rugby union, bemoaning the lack of talent identification in under-privileged areas.
And the 29-year-old, who himself grew up in Bristol’s Knowle West council estate, fears the sport is being held back by disparities in wealth.
“Rugby union has definitely got a class problem,” Genge told William Hill’s podcast, Up Front with Simon Jordan. “I’ve seen it first hand over the years from when I started going to trials. At a younger age, which kids miss out on becoming a professional rugby player is massively dependent on the class divide in the sport – and I’m strictly talking [about] a financial divide here.
“If you’re a nice enough bloke and you don’t cause any problems, you’re going to get a chance. When talking about all the kit you need to buy, the hours you need to drive to go to all the schools and rugby festivals, ultimately, the private schools have the best facilities and the best coaches, they’re going to produce better talent – and I get that.
“But, athletically and in terms of raw talent, I know where that is. The kids with raw talent and aggression, that are hungry to get out of where they’re from, I know where that is and that’s in those deprived areas. That’s what it all whittles down to – money.”
While Genge believes that “diamonds in the rough” are out there, the loosehead doubts whether the sport has the funds to overcome the challenge of finding them.
“To be honest, I think the sport has been quite openly on its a— for a while now, especially in the financial department so if they haven’t got the money to build on the infrastructure and the resources at the bottom of the game, then it’ll be a challenge to overcome the divide,” Genge added.
“I don’t think we need to make a big song and dance about under-representation within the sport, I just think there should be equal opportunity at both ends of spectrum, whether you’ve got a load of money to start with or f— all, let’s look at both sides of the coin.
“It’s not about gearing everything towards these private schools to find the talent, it should be about going to the deprived areas as well and try and find talent there. That’s where you find the diamonds in the rough.”
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