Ok I suppose it's time I put my head above the parapet. I know many will disagree with this, I expect some will even think I've gone soft in my old age, but my thoughts are what they are and won't change. We are all Bristol supporters we love the club and want the very best for Bristol. We've had and made it through some very tough times, but we survived and sooner or later the success we all crave will come our way. It is well known nothing is ever put on a plate for us, many say nothing is ever easy at Bristol. So it follows that when we get a coach we believe will lift the entire club England come calling. Rightly our first thoughts are with Bristol but deep down we know England needs our help, they need Steve Borthwick amongst others to put the wheel back on the chariot. Understandably we don't want him to go but we all know he must we not only want a successful England team we need them to be successful for the good of the game as a whole. We are not a shortsighted football club this is rugby we respect the national team and it also has The added benefit of bringing money, sponsors,TV rights and supporters through not only Twickenham's gates but ours as well so It is in all our interests to let Steve go, hard though that is to accept. Steve is a good man and like any other ambitious person he wants to prove himself at the very top, I know he signed a contract and all that but I really don't believe we should either legally or morally stand in his way. Personally I believe that would do us more harm than good if it was another club that wanted him my opinion would be the complete opposite but it isn't it is England . Copied from the Bristol Rugby forum. Substitute Lansdown, Cotterill and City where appropriate.
I think whoever wrote that is spot on I would assume that Bristol Rugby would get compensation from the RFU?
Funny I was talking about this the other night. How do transfers work in Rugby Union or is it just that the players are free to negotiate contracts? The Borthwick situation is quite simple, we have a contract and the RFU must buy him out of it at a price which suits the seller.