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New investment for unfunded Olympic and Paralympic sports could "make the difference" between athletes qualifying for Tokyo 2020 or not, says the chief executive of Skateboard England.

A £3m Aspiration Fund has been launched by UK Sport in a bid to help more athletes compete at the Tokyo Games.

Sports eligible to apply include the five making their Olympic debuts in 2020, of which skateboarding is one.

British Handball said the new fund had "come much too late".

Funding agency UK Sport awards cash only to sports it believes can deliver medals, and skateboarding missed out on funding as it was judged not to have demonstrated medal potential.

All unfunded summer Olympic and Paralympic sports are eligible to apply for the new fund, as are sports in receipt of individual athlete medal support plan funding.

James Hope-Gill, who leads Skateboard England, said the body was "very excited".

"If we are successful in our application, this means that we will be able to give an opportunity to GB skateboarders to enter Olympic qualification events around the world so that they can gain ranking points," said Hope-Gill, who added it was an "unexpected opportunity".

"Many of our skateboarders currently aren't able to afford to travel to these events so the potential funding could make the difference between qualifying for the Games and not."

British Surfing, which last month set up a crowdfunding page after also missing out on funding, also believes the Aspiration Fund could prove the difference.

"This sort of funding, carefully managed, can absolutely give them the best preparation for Olympic qualification," said director Nick Hounsfield.

British Handball said the opportunity had come over 10 months since teams began playing fixtures which will impact on their chances of reaching Tokyo 2020.

"Sadly this fund will be of little help to British Handball, and indeed many other unfunded sports, whose qualifying process for the Tokyo Games is already well under way," a statement read.

Which other sports could benefit?

Grants awarded from the Aspiration Fund will run until the end of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic cycle.

It is also likely to benefit sports such as badminton, archery, fencing, weightlifting and wheelchair rugby, which all lost their funding after the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.

Badminton and archery earned a reprieve in February when some of their athletes were placed on the medal support plan.

"The Aspiration Fund will give more sports the chance to inspire the nation and shine at Tokyo 2020 and beyond," said sports minister Tracey Crouch.

"This £3m bridges a gap between grassroots and elite funding, and will help sports grow and develop future champions.

"UK Sport investment has transformed Britain into an Olympic and Paralympic powerhouse. But there are sports, not on UK Sport's world-class programme, that do a huge amount of good in communities that we can help on their path to the podium."

Alongside their plans to qualify for Tokyo, sports must outline how they will use the funding to to capitalise on the impact of competing at the Games to "engage and inspire communities".

Liz Nicholl, chief executive of UK Sport, added: "This new Aspiration Fund is a fantastic opportunity for some sports to get on track for the Tokyo Games.

"Many of the sports we are currently unable to support, while further away from reaching the podium, have great potential not only to inspire through their performances on the field of play but also to have a genuine social impact in communities across the UK."

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Tokyo 2020: UK Sport offers new investment for unfunded Olympic and Paralympic sports

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New investment for unfunded Olympic and Paralympic sports could "make the difference" between athletes qualifying for Tokyo 2020 or not, says the chief executive of Skateboard England. A £3m Aspiration Fund has been launched by UK Sport in a bid to help more athletes compete at the Tokyo Games.

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Evidence shows that one in four patients would be more active if advised by a GP or nurse, yet nearly three quarters of GPs do not speak about the benefits of physical activity to patients due to either lack of knowledge, skills or confidence.

We therefore partnered with Public Health England and other professional bodies to establish the Moving Healthcare Professionals Programme to help address this barrier and support healthcare professionals to promote physical activity to their patients.

The programme provides peer-led training and is developing practical resources to support healthcare professionals implement the NICE guidance on physical activity, and guidance for treatment of a breadth of conditions that recommend physical activity.

Moving Healthcare Professionals also supports the delivery of Sporting Future which set out a clear ambition to promote the integration of sport and physical activity into care pathways and maximise the potential of advice, prescribing and referral interventions by health and social care professionals.

Background

Healthcare professionals are able to reach a large percentage of the population. More than one in 10 people visit their GP every two weeks and there are 1.2 million health-related visits to a community pharmacy every day. There are over 650,000 healthcare professionals in the country who are estimated to each see nearly half a million patients during their career. They are also considered a trusted source of advice, so what they say about physical activity and how they raise it could have a big impact on activity levels.

In addition, those who are regularly engaging with healthcare professionals (those with or at risk of developing health conditions) are far more likely to be inactive and are also more likely to be key target audiences which we have identified. For example, people facing the highest level of economic disadvantage have a 60% higher prevalence of health conditions than those facing the least and 30% more severity of disease.

How the programme is making a difference

There are multiple strands to the Moving Healthcare Professionals programme:
Training existing healthcare professionals
22,000 practicing healthcare professionals have received practical training on physical activity and how to incorporate this advice in practice. We have trained and supported a national network of over 35 healthcare professionals acting as clinical physical activity champions.

There are 15 GP clinical champions, four non-medic clinical champions (midwife, pharmacist, physiotherapist and psychologist) and 18 nurse clinical champions who provide peer to peer training. The champions provide free training sessions to groups of healthcare professionals. To find out more or to book a session contact: physicalactivity@phe.gov.uk

Moving Medicine is an e vidence based health-care profession al physical activity resource which has been developed. This is an innovative digital resource based on behavioural science, developed by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine (and a 500 strong development team, professional bodies and expert partners such as health charities) that will provide healthcare professionals with access to disease-specific evidence on the role of physical activity and also advice on how to bring up conversations, tailored to the patient (based on motivations, barriers and where applicable, health condition). More information can be found here.

Sarah Ruane, our strategic lead for health, said: "We know that it can be difficult to fit being active into busy lives. But for people who are dealing with illness or injury the thought of being active can be even more daunting. That's why healthcare professionals have such a vital role to play. Moving Medicine is a simple idea with huge potential to transform the lives of the millions of people who are inactive and living with health conditions. Equipping healthcare professionals with the practical information that they need to have supportive conversations with their patients, will help many more people to experience the range of health benefits that being active can bring."

In addition, e-learning CPD physical activity resources have been developed and are being accessed by thousands of health care professionals. E - learning modules on physical activity in the treatment of long-term conditions funded by PHE are available on the . A new suite of modules are currently in development through the Moving Healthcare Professionals Programme and will be available on Health Education England's E-learning for Health platform in early 2019. British Medical Journal
Upskilling the next generation
The programme aims to ensure the next generation of healthcare professionals will have the right level of knowledge and understanding of physical activity and the advice they should give to

patients. A consortium of experts have updated p hysical activity resources for medical schools. These experts have also conducted a thorough analysis on the current landscape by meeting with 16 of these schools and seven allied health professional schools to understand more about current barriers and opportunities for the inclusion of physical activity in their respective curriculum, discuss its importance and share the resources developed.
Testing innovative ideas
A national feasibility and acceptability pilot is underway for a 'prescription'-style pad that healthcare professionals can use when advising patients on increasing their physical activity. The intervention is currently being tested and refined in all of the test sites across a range of health care settings.

In addition a Sport and Exercise Medicine pilot, taking place at Oxfordshire University Hospital Trust, appointed a team of experts who are exploring how to embed physical activity across a hospital, into five clinical pathways (e.g. maternity, cardiology, etc.) tailored to the needs of the individual departments to improve patient outcomes and to begin to build a business case for changing the culture of the NHS. An Active Hospital toolkit is also in development.

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Evidence shows that one in four patients would be more active if advised by a GP or nurse, yet nearly three quarters of GPs do not speak about the benefits of physical activity to patients due to either lack of knowledge, skills or confidence.

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The funding agency for grassroots sport is to triple the amount of money it invests in tackling inactivity.

In a new strategy, Sport England will spend £250m over four years as it targets the 28% of people who do less than 30 minutes of exercise per week.

There will be a shift in emphasis towards the least active groups: typically women, the disabled and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

It will also dedicate funding to children from the age of five.

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Previously, Sport England has focused on helping youngsters from the age of 14.

As part of its new strategy, it will invest up to £30m on a plan to increase the number of volunteers in grassroots sport.

The organisation is also looking to work with a broader ranger of partners, with less money going to national governing bodies (NGBs).

Jennie Price, Sport England chief executive, said: "In the next four years, we're going to dedicate more time, expertise and more than £250m to tackling inactivity.

"We will be the single largest national investor in projects for people to whom sport and physical activity is a distant thought, or not even on their radar."

Reaction

Responding to Sport England's announcement, Clive Efford MP, Labour's Shadow Minister for Sport, said: "We have been calling for a long-term plan that empowers the people who deliver sport at the grassroots in our communities.

"This is a step in the right direction, but we will be watching to see if Sport England is capable of the reforming itself to oversee the sort of changes we need."

Barry Horne, chief executive for the English Federation of Disability Sport, added: "This new strategy signals a major step towards seeking equality.

"Disabled people are the least active of all the under-represented groups in sport. That gives you an indication of the level of challenge ahead and it cannot be a short-term fix."

Nick Pearson, the chief executive of parkrun, said: "This feels to me like a watershed moment. This long-awaited directional change in strategy will encourage organisations to focus in areas that we know make a difference.

"We particularly welcome the extra investment into volunteering, into tackling inactivity and focusing on the next generation through extending the scope of investment to include children from the age of five."

Background

Sport England directs more than half of its £325m annual funding towards NGBs, with a focus on more traditional, formal sport.

But, last year, the government voiced its displeasure after data suggested the growth in participation that followed London's successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympics was stalling.

Almost six out of 10 adults were playing no sport in a typical week.

Sport England was asked to back successful projects run by charities and organisations, outside the traditional NGB structure.

The main beneficiaries are likely to be Access Sport, Greenhouse Sports, parkrun, Sported, StreetGames and Street League - not-for-profit bodies that have enjoyed success in getting young people more active.

The impact of these programmes will be gauged in a new way, with the much-maligned Active People Survey being replaced by Active Lives - a wider survey that will also measure activities such as dance, rambling and cycling to work.

The new strategy comes at a crucial time for sport policy.

Funding was protected in last year's comprehensive spending review, but community sport depends on money from local authorities.

With local government grant funding suffering a 24% cut, non-statutory leisure budgets are under increasing threat.

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Sport England has £250m strategy to target inactivity

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The funding agency for grassroots sport is to triple the amount of money it invests in tackling inactivity. In a new strategy, Sport England will spend £250m over four years as it targets the 28% of people who do less than 30 minutes of exercise per week.

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Sport for development: the power of football to create social change

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The sport for development sector is not something nice and fluffy going on at the fringes of the serious business of football; it has the potential to create meaningful change

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Private schools told to open their swimming pools to state pupils

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Move reflects fears for half of British children unable to swim 25 metres by the age of 11

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Sport England funding revealed, with netball among biggest beneficiaries

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Netball, rugby union, table tennis and tennis have all been given significant government grants for grassroots sport but the FA must wait to find out how much funding it will receive over the next four years.

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46344677

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Reports of discriminatory abuse in football increased 11% last season - a sixth successive annual rise.

Figures from anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out reveal a total of 520 reports, up from 469 in 2016-17.

Reports of racism make up 53% of the overall total - up 22% from the previous season - while reports of homophobia have increased 9%.

"We are at our most worrying period of time within the game," Kick It Out's Troy Townsend told BBC Sport.

"The risk to the game is that it's taking us back to a time which some people thought never existed. Twenty five years ago, hatred towards black players was at its highest. But how far have we come?

"Whilst there is great work being done, there must be more resources and stronger messages put out. The game has to look at itself. These figures should be a sharp reminder that we are not as far as forward as maybe we thought."

The figures do not include discrimination reported to club stewards, which Kick It Out education manager Townsend said could mean the real picture was "a lot worse".

"We are relying on people providing information to us, but if they don't report it and it's not actioned then we are only really getting a snapshot of what is happening in stadiums."

The biggest increase came in disability discrimination reports, which rose by 107% from 14 to 29, while 10% of all reports were related to anti-Semitism.

There was a 13% drop in reports of sexism, and those associated with faith fell 24%.

Cases reported at English Football League matches have risen by 30%, but cases in the Premier League have remained almost the same. Across the entire professional game there was a 10% increase overall from 194 in 2016-17 to 214 in 2017-18.

Grassroots discrimination reports rose by 35% across the same period, with racism (71%) and disability (33%) the most common forms of discrimination reported.

The statistics are compiled from all levels of the game, including the Premier League, EFL, FA Women's Super League, non-league and grassroots fixtures.

Townsend, whose son Andros plays for Crystal Palace, said the picture at grassroots level was "horrendous" and said there was enough money in the game to tackle the overall problem properly.

"The problem at grassroots football is it's un-policed," he added. "A lot of perpetrators at that level are getting away with it, including people watching and parents.

"I'd like to be optimistic, but after the statistics provided, there is no way I can be and believe that things will be OK two or three years down the line.

"Are we doing enough in the game to stamp hatred out of football? What more can all football bodies do to identify the perpetrators, provide the right education and how do we make the game more inclusive?

"If we want to eradicate the discrimination that's continuing, then we need to put a level of money behind it to make sure it's properly resourced and we are challenging it from all angles.

"Football has such a power that surely we can come together to continue to make changes?"

What do football bodies say?

The Premier League: "Premier League football is open to everyone and our clubs work hard to promote equality and diversity in everything they do, from the atmosphere and experience in their stadiums to the many sport and education projects they run in their communities.

"A slight increase in reporting of incidents of discrimination at Premier League matches shows that more needs to be done in this area, but that must be balanced against the work the league and its clubs have undertaken with Kick It Out to develop and promote the reporting app which provides a simple and discreet way for fans and participants to raise any concerns they have.

"Clubs have also worked hard with stewards to ensure reporting is encouraged and that any complaints are given high priority."

The Football Association: "We encourage all fans and participants who believe they have been the subject of, or witness to, discriminatory abuse to report this through the appropriate channels.

"The FA has funded two extra grassroots officers, based at Kick It Out, who work directly with our County FA network as well as grassroots clubs and community groups, partly to encourage and raise awareness of reporting discrimination channels.

"Additionally we have a robust system in place to ensure aggravated breaches (discrimination cases) are reported to the FA centrally at Wembley from the County FA network, which the local leagues feed into, as The FA oversees all discrimination cases."

The EFL: "The EFL remains committed to working with the relevant parties to ensure football provides a welcoming environment for all those supporters attending matches.

"We continue to work closely with EFL clubs, Kick it Out and other relevant bodies to ensure improved reporting mechanisms are in place and we believe this is now making this process easier and more manageable for fans."

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Abuse continues to increase - Kick It Out

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Reports of discriminatory abuse in football increased 11% last season - a sixth successive annual rise. Figures from anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out reveal a total of 520 reports, up from 469 in 2016-17. Reports of racism make up 53% of the overall total - up 22% from the previous season - while reports of homophobia have increased 9%.

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Brizzo, Dan
http://www.disabilitysnowsport.org.uk/Latest-News/Crystal-Winter-Games.aspx

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Crystal Winter Games - Disability Snowsport UK

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When Steve Brown was appointed chief executive of the Rugby Football Union in September 2017, he made his intentions clear: he wanted England to be the leading rugby nation in the world, both on and off the field.

Almost a year later, and things have taken a turn for the worse.

England endured a poor 2018 on the field, and off it the union has been embroiled in a row over the future of the women's game, accusations of sexism in the workplace, and suggestions of financial irresponsibility.

But is there actually cause for concern at Twickenham?

BBC Sport takes a look at the issues facing the power-brokers of the English game.

Financial adjustment - or turmoil?

There is no doubt the RFU is at something of a financial cross-roads, with the union making a number of redundancies in the past few months.

In all, 62 people will or have lost their jobs, with the staff trimmed from 570 to nearer 500.

And, in a recent development, former CEO Francis Baron has been commissioned by a band of disenfranchised ex-presidents to investigate the union's financial affairs.

The former Twickenham grandees are unhappy about cuts to the community game as well as the losses at the union in the past financial year - £7.7m in total, not helped by only having two Six Nations matches at home.

The RFU is understood to have found the conduct of the former presidents unfathomable, and is confused by Baron's involvement, given he has not worked there since 2010.

Those at Twickenham have also questioned his understanding of the modern-day workings of the union and believe his report contains a number of factual inaccuracies.

However, the RFU balance sheet is not as healthy as it once was, with costs ballooning and income stalling.

A £220m Professional Game Agreement with Premiership clubs has stretched the finances, as has a vast increase in fees paid to England players on international duty.

Developing the east stand at Twickenham has run £30m over budget thanks largely, but not exclusively, to tighter and more expensive safety measures in light of the Grenfell Tower disaster.

The high expense of running Twickenham, a staff head count that swelled before the Rugby World Cup in 2015, and an uncertain financial climate post-Brexit have all contributed.

While its critics claim the RFU is in financial turmoil, the union describes it as a necessary and unavoidable financial adjustment.

Either way, the RFU is not immune to the financial landscape.

Elite, grassroots or both?

Like the Football Association, the RFU has a twin purpose: to maintain a vibrant and successful game at both the elite end - the England senior teams - and at grassroots level.

But while England head coach Eddie Jones' department has been protected from the cost-cutting measures, the community game has been hit with 35 of the 62 redundancies.

In some places, that has left projects half-completed and gaps which are being filled by hard-working unpaid volunteers - leading to unrest at the grassroots.

Conversely, Jones has been given carte blanche to do what he needs to make his side the best in the world. With this in mind, a flop at the World Cup next year is unthinkable.

This all highlights a dilemma at the core of the RFU. Trimming the spending on the senior team would create numerous jobs at community level, but what should be the union's priority? Does a successful England team lead to a healthy grassroots, or vice-versa?

Either way, the two are inextricably linked.

Without a prosperous, successful and profitable England senior side - be that through sponsorship, ticket sales, merchandising, hospitality or broadcast revenues - there is no money to invest in the grassroots game.

Women's game - professional or not?

There was widespread confusion among the England women's players last week, when Brown announced it was the union's ambition to fully professionalise the women's game as early as this season.

That came just days after the head of women's rugby, Nicky Ponsford, told the players via email no decision would be made until September at least.

With the current ad-hoc match payments insufficient as a salary, it has left the women's 15-a-side players in limbo, unsure whether to commit to jobs away from rugby, or hold out for a full-time deal.

While some argue the RFU 'has the money' to finance a whole professional arm, in reality this is overly simplistic.

Despite strides being made in this area - the new Premier 15s league, for example - the women's game is not yet at the point where it can fully sustain itself commercially. Brown also admits the current policy of 'flip-flopping' resources between Sevens and XVs has been a failure.

A couple of years ago, the RFU may have been able to professionalise the women's game without the need to see a return on the investment. That is no longer the case.

2019 or bust

The belt-tightening climate may also hit the RFU council and other privileged members, who have all enjoyed free tickets, lunches, and accommodation at England matches.

So far, the council has rejected attempts to cut back on their match-day benefits, to the frustration of Twickenham insiders, while some former presidents were far from enamoured at plans to move them from an over-populated Royal Box during the Six Nations.

But the RFU is determined not to become embroiled in a civil war with the likes of Baron and the former presidents.

Brown and other RFU bosses will meet the group in the next few weeks to discuss their grievances, while the latest business plan was approved by the RFU council as recently as June.

Unlike a decade ago, the RFU is, with first Ian Ritchie and now Brown at the helm, a transparent and modern organisation, while Twickenham remains a profitable and lucrative institution - the envy of unions worldwide.

However the current focus on the running of the union piles even more pressure on the senior team. Perform well at the World Cup, and things such as the cuts to the community game, the redundancies, and the trimming of council privileges will be seen as harsh, but fair.

But if England fail to make the semi-finals in Japan, then not only will Jones go, but Brown may too.

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Financial adjustment or turmoil? What's going on at the RFU?

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When Steve Brown was appointed chief executive of the Rugby Football Union in September 2017, he made his intentions clear: he wanted England to be the leading rugby nation in the world, both on and off the field. Almost a year later, and things have taken a turn for the worse.

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Sporting governing bodies must bring in more women or lose public funding, UK Sport and Sport England have warned.

Under the new 'Code for Sports Governance', organisations must adhere to "gold standards" of transparency, accountability and financial integrity.

The code sets out a target of at least 30% gender diversity on boards.

"If sport wants to be publicly funded, it must reflect the public it serves," said the chief executive of Women in Sport, Ruth Holdaway.

She said the code sent that message "loud and clear".

The code calls for:

Increased skills and diversity in decision-making, with a target of at least 30% gender diversity on boards

Greater transparency, for example publishing more information on the structure, strategy and financial position of the organisation

Constitutional arrangements that give boards the prime role in decision-making

The new code applies to governing bodies who ask for UK government and National Lottery funding from April 2017.

UK Sport predicts changes in practice should be in evidence by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"It is vital that our domestic sports bodies and organisations uphold the very highest standards of governance and lead the world in this area," sports minister Tracey Crouch said.

It is not only funding which could be hit if authorities do not comply with the code.

The government could also take other punitive measures - including the withdrawal of the support sporting bodies need when bidding to host major events.

Who benefits from the funding at present?

Both UK Sport and Sport England allocate money from the government and National Lottery to grassroots initiatives, clubs, charities, local authorities and national governing bodies.

Sport England is investing £493m into 46 sports between 2013 and 2017 while UK Sport has invested about £350m in the same period.

The Football Association is among the many recipients and will receive £30m from Sport England during the period 2013-2017.

However, the sports minister warned the FA earlier this year that it would be stripped of further funding unless it made changes to its governance.

The FA has just one woman on its board, independent non-executive director Dame Heather Rabbatts, who has been left "frustrated" and "disappointed" at its failure to implement reform.

However, FA chairman Greg Clarke welcomed the new code, saying: "It will rightly protect public investment in sport by ensuring that transparency, controls and financial probity are a prerequisite for all organisations in receipt of government money."

British Cycling, the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Lawn Tennis Association, UK Athletics and UK Gymnastics are other recipients of funding, along with many Olympic and Paralympic sports.

What will governing bodies have to do now?

UK Sport's chief operating officer Simon Morton told BBC Sport: "This code includes over 50 requirements that sporting organisations in receipt of public funding will now have to implement.

"It will take different times for every single organisation. They all have different constitutions in place, so we'll agree bespoke timescales.

"But certainly as we move into the next funding cycle, which will start from 2017 onwards, they'll need to be compliant with these standards.

"Sports bodies have already done well in governance terms, but there's a huge amount of public funding going into sport and the key message is [for them] to justify the funding, give the public confidence that the governance of sport is right."

How has the new code come about?

The government announced a new code would be developed in its Sporting Future strategy, published in December 2015.

In response, UK Sport and Sport England embarked on a consultation period with governing bodies and found strong support for higher standards of governance.

Of the more than 200 organisations consulted, 98% backed a drive for greater transparency and 78% agreed on the need for increased diversity.

"There have been significant improvements in standards of governance, which is to be welcomed, but there is still much to do," Sport England chair Nick Bitel said.

"Diversity in sports sector boardrooms is still an issue and requires a mandatory code to achieve sustainable change."

UK Sport chairman Rod Carr added: "We are confident that despite the recent historic successes at the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we can be even stronger as a high-performance system with better representation and more openness.

"This is also about encouraging more diversity into leadership positions in sport, and I fully expect to see a broad range of talent coming in to key roles during the Tokyo cycle."

Analysis
Dan Roan, BBC sports editor
This could be very serious for governing bodies like the FA. As well as cutting investment through its funding agencies for sports who fail to reform, the government is prepared to withdraw essential support and guarantees required for bids to host major international events.

That could mean the FA's plans to bid for the 2030 World Cup are blocked, if it refuses to modernise.

Very few British governing bodies currently meet the new governance criteria, so this code represents a significant change in the way sports are run. UK Sport is also considering the establishment of a compliance unit to conduct investigations into governing bodies.

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Funding warning for sports governing bodies under new gender diversity code

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Sporting governing bodies must bring in more women or lose public funding, UK Sport and Sport England have warned. Under the new 'Code for Sports Governance', organisations must adhere to "gold standards" of transparency, accountability and financial integrity. The code sets out a target of at least 30% gender diversity on boards.

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What the players think about rugby's biggest issues

Player welfare: two words that are now heard in rugby conversations almost as regularly as 'try' or 'scrum'. Yet the people uttering the words are often in suits rather than kit, when surely it's the opinions of the players themselves that are most important.

That's why Rugby World magazine teamed up with International Rugby Players, the global body that represents the game's professionals, to find out what their members think about the sport's biggest issues. We've previously reported on the men's sevens survey and women's survey; now it's time for the verdict of the men's 15-a-side players.

More than 350 Test players from the 20 teams that will be involved at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, plus the other three nations involved in the repêchage and Romania, completed an anonymous survey on topics including workload, concussion, international rugby, agents and money.

Here are their views, as published in Rugby World 's January 2019 edition...
What the players think about rugby's biggest issues: WORKLOAD
"Is what we're doing to our bodies sustainable?" That is just one of the comments from those surveyed regarding the physical and mental load placed on players in the modern game.

It echoes the sentiments of Jonny May in the December issue of Rugby World, the Leicester and England wing saying: "I suspect that professional careers will grow shorter as players place increased loads on their bodies. The athletes will continue to get better, more powerful and more highly-tuned, but it will come at the price of not being able to do it for as long."

People talk about how professional players are so much fitter and faster, bigger and stronger than the amateur era but, as May says, at what cost?

With improved physical specimens playing more high-intensity matches, players' bodies are sure to feel the effects, whether in the long or short term. A third of the players surveyed by International Rugby Players missed six or more matches last season due to injury.

Even more shocking is that 45% of players - that's basically one out of every two - admit to being pressured by coaches to play or train when not fully fit. Players often talk of carrying niggles throughout a season and with so much riding on matches it's easy to understand why coaches want their star performers on the pitch, but players' health should always be the top priority.

Clubs and governing bodies continually say player welfare is of the greatest importance, yet these results would suggest otherwise. Players should not have to train or play under duress, when doing so could cause more long-term damage. As one player surveyed said: "Players need to be protected from under-pressure coaching staff."

International Rugby Players chief executive Omar Hassanein says: "Despite the constant reminder that player welfare is the game's number one priority, it's hugely worrying that a large amount of players have felt pressured to play when not fully fit. This leads to a spike in injury rates and we know from the survey that the biggest mental pressure comes from being injured."

While 33% of players feel matches played is what has the most impact on physical workload in a season, it's interesting that 30% cited the lack of recovery time, with this particularly high among Tier Two players.

People often praise the Irish system, where players are centrally contracted and rested at points in the season. The new season structure in England from 2019-20 will introduce in-season breaks for players, too, in an attempt to address the issue, but that plan still includes only two weeks of complete rest in the off-season.

Harlequins prop Joe Marler raised concerns about the new structure when it was first announced, but having spoken to his clubmate and RPA chairman Mark Lambert, he has revised his opinions - at least on some points.

"I think it's good generally but there's still work to do for England players," he says. "The league is asking them to be available for more high-intensity Premiership games, to go toe-to-toe in full-on games as well as all the England games. So that needs to be looked at."

That English structure also includes a maximum of 30 full games for players, yet the majority view of those surveyed is that 21-25 is the optimum number.

Former Wales and Lions captain Sam Warburton, who retired this year because he felt his body could no longer deliver the high standards he strived for, agrees on that point.

"The game is okay, it's the amount of games that is the issue," he told The Ruck podcast. "Rugby is never going to be safe - people might not want to hear that but you can't get 30 big blokes running around a field and make it safe. You can't make a ruck perfectly safe or a tackle perfectly safe. But what you can change is the workload on players.

"It's more the volume that players are playing. On the Lions tour in 2017, some of the English guys were approaching 40 games - you can't do that. I think 25 starts a season is ample."

"Uncontrolled contact in sessions is problematic," said one player. Another said: "Contact at training, whether in a club or international set-up, needs to be limited by time. There is enough contact week to week in games, so I don't see why there is any in training." A third player added: "Training is sometimes like match intensity."

Interestingly, the NFL have established rules around training that limits the number of full-contact practice sessions in the regular season to 14, with 11 in the first 11 weeks, so a maximum of one a week. Team training is attended by independent observers to ensure these regulations are not breached.

So should rugby introduce something similar? Adam Beard, who has worked in rugby as a strength and conditioning specialist for Wales and the Lions and is now director of high performance at Cleveland Browns in the NFL, believes that cutting contact training back too much could actually mean that players' bodies aren't prepared for matches.

"It's like UFC or boxing: you need contact, you need to prepare for contact," says Beard. "These games are contact-orientated. We used to have a really big run-in for contact preparation for Wales. You would have a progression all the way through to bone-on-bone and some weeks we'd pull back, but we'd build it all the way through and guys' bodies would be ready for that. It's important for timing but also body conditioning. It's a big thing, getting the body prepared."

International Rugby Players are working with World Rugby to assess training load and whether players would benefit from restrictions.

It's worth highlighting mental pressures as well as physical ones. Looking at the England structure from 2019-20 and those aforementioned breaks, Warburton insists it will still be hard to totally switch off in the middle of an intense season.

"There might be breaks but it's a long time mentally," he said. "Even if you're physically helping a player, you're not helping a player emotionally and mentally. It's a long time in competition."

The survey threw up similar concerns. One player said: "The season is too long mentally and physically." Another said: "When you are on the fringe of your international side, doing the mental prep and playing limited minutes, then having to play in your break, it puts massive strains on relationships at home."

You couldn't describe Marler as a fringe international - he played 59 times for England between 2012 and 2018 - but the effect playing for his country had on his family life saw him call time on his Test career in September. How did that manifest itself?

"I'd be at home in a pretty dark place, not talking, not interacting with the kids or the wife," says the 28-year-old. "My wife would say, 'Any danger of you being here with us?'

"I'd be thinking about going away (with England) and having to leave Daisy and the kids. I've used the word anxiety because that's how it felt. There's a lot of pressure in any England environment and top-level elite rugby."

He admits that when England opened their autumn campaign against South Africa, he woke up wishing he was playing at Twickenham. "But I quickly realised I didn't miss it enough to do everything in order to get to game day - the three weeks beforehand, the time away from home. I make sacrifices for my club, for the team, but I also get to come home each night."

Conversations around mental health are a lot more prevalent these days, not only in rugby but the world as a whole, with the sport's player associations providing support programmes in this area. However, if changes in the game, such as the length of the season or number of Tests, would also help in
this area, they must be addressed.

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What the players think about rugby's biggest issues

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What the players think about rugby's biggest issues Player welfare: two words that are now heard in rugby conversations almost as regularly as 'try' or 'scrum'. Yet the people uttering the words are often in suits rather than kit, when surely it's the opinions of the players themselves that are most important.

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We recently quizzed our members about what they felt were the big challenges preventing the Sport for Development sector reaching its full potential. Here's what they had to say...
Funding
Unsurprisingly, funding is front of mind for the majority of our members. Indeed, 80% of those surveyed said they were looking for help with their finances or that funding is an issue, whilst 47% felt they didn't have sustainable funding streams in place.

A key sticking point for our members was that funding is all too often concentrated on larger, elite provision, with government missing out on smaller organisations' unique value. "We know there is a need. We know there are skilled workers. We know groups can engage young people. What's missing is funding."

As well as this, funding streams are often structured in a way which makes them difficult or unsuitable for small clubs to access. In a sector where it can take time to gain momentum and participants, and where change is often only going to be visible long-term, clubs are hamstrung by short-term funding, or funding that prioritises new activities over established, tried-and-true provision. What funding is available is unlikely to consider core costs, and to demand disproportionate levels of monitoring information, adding to demands on time in a predominantly volunteer-led sector.
Lack of true understanding of sport's value
The government's new sports strategy - ' Sporting Future ' - has put the social value of sport firmly at its centre: a position that Sported and our members have long called for.

Government should "really look at and understand the power that sport has to build stronger, happier communities and to measure the impact and invest long term in those organisations, nationally and locally that deliver those outcomes" said one Sported member.

"Sport clubs have a wider impact than simply the participants. They can benefit families, volunteers, local community, siblings. They should be for everybody, not just elite participants." There is a need to "take accountability for sport and the wider benefits. We need joined up thinking as a statutory duty between public sector partners such as the Police, NHS and local authorities."
Facilities - cost and availability
Facilities are also a key concern, especially in an atmosphere of cuts. As well as dismay at the closing of facilities, our members felt school facilities are much less available than they could be. "Help local sport organisations to access suitable and underused facilities and charge low levels of rent to enable sustained delivery of activities to young people," one group says. "Consider how you can make your sport facilities open to the wider community and other sports organisations outside of school hours in holidays."
Greater engagement with NGBs and other sporting bodies
Clubs and groups were also keen to communicate more with NGBs and other governance organisations, asking them to "Proactively seek two-way communication." Members identified a need for "openness, willingness and flexibility from sports councils and NGBs."
Volunteer support
Almost all community sports clubs are born out of a love of sport: they are mainly run by enthusiasts, who understandably want to concentrate their volunteering time on the activities they love. With 64% of our members entirely volunteer led, time is limited, but as clubs develop, more and more time needs to be devoted to the 'business' side of clubs demanded by funders and other support agencies. Yet 29% felt they didn't have the adequate administrative skills to develop their organisation.

With time constraints a key issue, demand for volunteers is high. However, attracting and retaining these volunteers to be a challenge: they can be put off by statutory requirements and the sheer time commitment that volunteering demands, or be less to support in admin and other less sporty tasks. Where volunteers are retained, gaining funding to train and gain qualifications for volunteers is also a challenge for groups.

*The feedback referenced in this blog were taken from the responses of 408 participants at a series of Sported events hosted across the UK between March and September 2015.
Tell us what you think. What is the single biggest challenge facing your community group?

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The big challenges facing community sport

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We recently quizzed our members about what they felt were the big challenges preventing the Sport for Development sector reaching its full potential. Here's what they had to say... Funding Unsurprisingly, funding is front of mind for the majority of our members.

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Raheem Sterling shouldn't have to educate the media about racism | Musa Okwonga

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Sterling's right that the British media needs to tackle racism, head on, says poet and journalist Musa Okwonga

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Jamal & Logan

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oday marks the first-ever International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP). Officially declared by the UN, it was created on the initiative of the International Olympic Committee, a powerful institution at the heart of the professional sports industry. We are also merely months away from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Two good reasons to reflect on the relationship between the sports industry and the growing sector of sport for development.

The sport for development sector consists of a wide range of sports used to address an equally wide range of social issues. Not only does sport provide a basis for physical fitness and healthy living, but it captures the interest of people from all over the world and of all ages. It is this unique ability to engage people and bring them together that makes sport the perfect catalyst for development projects, from cricket charities in England, to basketball programmes in South Africa and a chess foundation in

As specialists in the field, we know that the game of football is particularly effective in addressing some of the world's most pressing issues. Kick4Life offers a range of programmes in Lesotho, including HIV prevention and voluntary testing, and La Fundación de las Américas para el Desarrollo (FUDELA) uses football as the core element in training and technical skill development programmes in Ecuador.

They are just two of over 100 grassroots football organisations that make up streetfootballworld, the leading network in social change through football. Our collective work shows that football can transcend the barriers of gender, nationality and ethnicity, and address issues such as gang violence, lack of education or poor health practices. We have seen the potential of football in action, and now we want to see the intrinsic values of the game-teamwork, inclusion, respect-embedded into the core of the business. But to do this, we need to first start redefining how we in the football for development sector think about cooperating with our counterpart, the industry.

We are likely witnessing football history in the making as Brazilians continue to take to the streets in protest of a range of issues, not least the high cost of preparations for the upcoming World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. The football-crazed country is speaking up, using sporting events to draw attention to deep-rooted issues in Brazilian society. They have exposed the widening gap between the sports industry and its supporters-the fans, communities and society as a whole.

Football, the world's most popular sport, not only ignites passion in Brazil's favelas or India's slums, but in World Cup stadiums, on the pitch and in the stands. Football is a common passion shared by people in the throes of poverty, but also by those who have the resources to make a significant difference. That is why the key to creating true social change through football is to have all parts of the football world-clubs, players, coaches, fans-cooperate with one another.

So, how do we do this? Streetfootballworld has already paved the way by creating links between grassroots football for development organisations and major football institutions. For example, through CSR consultancy work for FIFA, the governing body of international football invested in a social legacy campaign for the 2010 World Cup. By building 20 community centres and football pitches across Africa, the project provides 18 grassroots football organisations with a sustainable space to run their educational programmes - from HIV/AIDS prevention curricula to media training.

Mega sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games call for large changes in infrastructure. Ensuring that the effects of these events on host countries are primarily positive would be a major step for the industry. Conducting baseline assessments of host communities - not just size or ethnicity of population, but their quality of life - would allow us to measure the event's after effects.

The international media present could report not only on athletes and competitions, but on the work of community sport for development organisations as well. Financial support for development projects from the industry could become a regular fixture. For example, mandatory investments into projects as a part of sponsorship deals or player transfer fees, with sponsors choosing projects like they choose their most valuable players.

There is a whole range of ideas for cooperation with the industry and we're just getting started, but international institutions such as the UN and the IOC need to lead the way in this regard as well. We cannot pigeon-hole the sport for development sector into something nice and fluffy going on at the fringes of the serious business. Rather, we must redefine its very essence and create systems in which social change sits alongside or even above wealth creation, which is filtered down to the supporters that sustain the industry.

Following this first International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, we cannot be content with platitudes about the power of football, or sport in general, to make a difference. It is only when we tear down traditional barriers to cooperation between businesses and charities that we will see the true value of sport create meaningful impact.
Steve Fleming is a co-founder of Kick4Life, an award-winning sport for development organisation that delivers health education, HIV testing and life skills development to vulnerable children in Lesotho. Verónica Escobar is the executive vice president of La Fundación de las Américas para el Desarrollo (FUDELA), a football for development organisation that delivers educational training and technical skill development to young people in Ecuador. Join the community of sustainability professionals and experts. Become a GSB member to get more stories like this direct to your inbox

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Sport for development: the power of football to create social change

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oday marks the first-ever International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP). Officially declared by the UN, it was created on the initiative of the International Olympic Committee, a powerful institution at the heart of the professional sports industry. We are also merely months away from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

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https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/dec/07/surfing-skateboarding-olympics-tokyo-2020

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Surfing and skateboarding receive huge Olympic boost from UK Sport

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Softball and goalball are among other sports to benefit from a new 'aspirational fund' to help them quality for Tokyo 2020

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Steve Fleming and Verónica Escobar

oday marks the first-ever International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP). Officially declared by the UN, it was created on the initiative of the International Olympic Committee, a powerful institution at the heart of the professional sports industry. We are also merely months away from the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Two good reasons to reflect on the relationship between the sports industry and the growing sector of sport for development.

The sport for development sector consists of a wide range of sports used to address an equally wide range of social issues. Not only does sport provide a basis for physical fitness and healthy living, but it captures the interest of people from all over the world and of all ages. It is this unique ability to engage people and bring them together that makes sport the perfect catalyst for development projects, from cricket charities in England, to basketball programmes in South Africa and a chess foundation in

As specialists in the field, we know that the game of football is particularly effective in addressing some of the world's most pressing issues. Kick4Life offers a range of programmes in Lesotho, including HIV prevention and voluntary testing, and La Fundación de las Américas para el Desarrollo (FUDELA) uses football as the core element in training and technical skill development programmes in Ecuador.

They are just two of over 100 grassroots football organisations that make up streetfootballworld, the leading network in social change through football. Our collective work shows that football can transcend the barriers of gender, nationality and ethnicity, and address issues such as gang violence, lack of education or poor health practices. We have seen the potential of football in action, and now we want to see the intrinsic values of the game-teamwork, inclusion, respect-embedded into the core of the business. But to do this, we need to first start redefining how we in the football for development sector think about cooperating with our counterpart, the industry.

We are likely witnessing football history in the making as Brazilians continue to take to the streets in protest of a range of issues, not least the high cost of preparations for the upcoming World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. The football-crazed country is speaking up, using sporting events to draw attention to deep-rooted issues in Brazilian society. They have exposed the widening gap between the sports industry and its supporters-the fans, communities and society as a whole.

Football, the world's most popular sport, not only ignites passion in Brazil's favelas or India's slums, but in World Cup stadiums, on the pitch and in the stands. Football is a common passion shared by people in the throes of poverty, but also by those who have the resources to make a significant difference. That is why the key to creating true social change through football is to have all parts of the football world-clubs, players, coaches, fans-cooperate with one another.

So, how do we do this? Streetfootballworld has already paved the way by creating links between grassroots football for development organisations and major football institutions. For example, through CSR consultancy work for FIFA, the governing body of international football invested in a social legacy campaign for the 2010 World Cup. By building 20 community centres and football pitches across Africa, the project provides 18 grassroots football organisations with a sustainable space to run their educational programmes - from HIV/AIDS prevention curricula to media training.

Mega sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games call for large changes in infrastructure. Ensuring that the effects of these events on host countries are primarily positive would be a major step for the industry. Conducting baseline assessments of host communities - not just size or ethnicity of population, but their quality of life - would allow us to measure the event's after effects.

The international media present could report not only on athletes and competitions, but on the work of community sport for development organisations as well. Financial support for development projects from the industry could become a regular fixture. For example, mandatory investments into projects as a part of sponsorship deals or player transfer fees, with sponsors choosing projects like they choose their most valuable players.

There is a whole range of ideas for cooperation with the industry and we're just getting started, but international institutions such as the UN and the IOC need to lead the way in this regard as well. We cannot pigeon-hole the sport for development sector into something nice and fluffy going on at the fringes of the serious business. Rather, we must redefine its very essence and create systems in which social change sits alongside or even above wealth creation, which is filtered down to the supporters that sustain the industry.

Following this first International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, we cannot be content with platitudes about the power of football, or sport in general, to make a difference. It is only when we tear down traditional barriers to cooperation between businesses and charities that we will see the true value of sport create meaningful impact.
Steve Fleming is a co-founder of Kick4Life, an award-winning sport for development organisation that delivers health education, HIV testing and life skills development to vulnerable children in Lesotho. Verónica Escobar is the executive vice president of La Fundación de las Américas para el Desarrollo (FUDELA), a football for development organisation that delivers educational training and technical skill development to young people in Ecuador. Join the community of sustainability professionals and experts. Become a GSB member to get more stories like this direct to your inbox Topics

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Sport for development: the power of football to create social change

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Steve Fleming and Verónica Escobar oday marks the first-ever International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP). Officially declared by the UN, it was created on the initiative of the International Olympic Committee, a powerful institution at the heart of the professional sports industry.

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Sports club membership has hit new highs but concern over barriers to participation for some people has been raised by a Welsh assembly committee. A record 500,000 were club members in both 2012 and 2013, say governing bodies like Swim Wales which now has 25,000 members, up from 11,500 in 2011.

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Britain's Olympic success leads to record boost in sport participation

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Britain's Olympic success has helped contribute to a record boost in the number of people playing sport, according to new figures released by Sport England

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Sports for development: more than just fun and games?

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The London 2012 Olympics popularised the use of sport to create social good, but many organisations in this nascent sector have yet to create lasting change

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"I'm really fortunate that in the early part of my career I didn't have a lot of input from coaches."

This is not exactly what you would expect to hear from the man helping to mould the next generation of England rugby union internationals.

But it quickly dawns on you that head coach John Fletcher, speaking on day two of an England Under-18 development camp, is not everything you would expect of a man charged with stacking the conveyor belt of talent with the newest breed.

"This is the most exciting part of my job - spending time with young, enthusiastic, motivated, skilful players and trying to support them to get better," Fletcher told BBC Sport.

It is hardly a surprise that Fletcher's number two, Peter Walton, is the son of a farmer, with the duo having helped cultivate and harvest the nation's finest prospects for almost a decade - from the midfield pairing of George Ford and Owen Farrell to prodigious forward Maro Itoje and barnstorming brothers Mako and Billy Vunipola.

"It is our role to identify those players who have the best chance of going through. We have a lot of experience in it. Peter and I know what it looks like at different stages of development," said Fletcher.

"We have got people in this part of the performance pathway who are incredibly driven to create an environment where kids can be the best versions of themselves."

'Playground behaviour'

This programme is where the gifted are encouraged, the ambitious unleashed and the competitive challenged.

Fletcher, who worked as director of rugby at Newcastle Falcons before taking on the job with the Rugby Football Union in 2008, wants players under his tutelage to play and act as if he was not there.

This is a man who has to be part-coach, part-child psychologist. He talks about creating a loving, playful, accepting and empathetic environment to ultimately foster the production of adaptable players.

What anchors the team's ethos is the acronym 'CARDS' - creativity, awareness, resilience, decision-making and self-awareness.

It is an ideology which former England boss Stuart Lancaster helped define while he was in charge of elite player development, and his national team successor Eddie Jones is well aware of the approach.

"The best environment I've ever seen is the playground," said Fletcher. "There is never a 60-0 because teams would have been swapped around before that, rules would be changed. There is a lot of inclusion.

"Playground behaviour is what we, as adults, need to bring a bit more into practice.

"When I was young, I just played. I'd say 95% of the time it was just with mates with no adults around at all. And even the other 5% with adults around organising stuff, I'd say they were rocking up saying 'sort yourselves out'.

"Now I'm a coach and I've adopted that. I do think it is the best approach - I coach kids and you have to be comfortable with kids actually sorting things out themselves and you want it often to be chaotic."

"Chaos" is what Fletcher, Walton and fellow England Under-18 coach Russell Earnshaw aim for in their sessions and they will throw up the unpredictable to get it. In return they expect the unlikely, brazen and daring.

"We don't have a real strong structure or framework to how we play, we play towards principles," said Fletcher.

"Our principles of defence are around assessing threats, cutting down options, getting the ball back. That allows players a lot of freedom to go out and explore different ways of bringing that to life.

"The biggest difference in our environment is that we are really comfortable with exploration and we understand that a lot of good learning comes from stuff not going well."

Highs and lows

A session with the squad makes for captivating viewing and there are a host of coaches from academies, schools and clubs to observe.

For the first 10 minutes there is not a rugby ball in play. Instead, players get their hands on footballs and even odd-shaped and odd-sized balls - because you never know just how the next pass or kick will land in your hands.

Forwards and backs are referred to as "low numbers" and "high numbers", because forwards and backs are terms "adults use" and which limit players positionally.

Here, "low numbers" are encouraged to develop a kicking game - another reason to use the more forgiving footballs - as they try to shape a player capable of succeeding in the game of the future, rather than cloning the next Itoje.

Tackle bags are nowhere to be seen, while headbands of every colour of the rainbow are used instead of bibs, because... well, why not? As Earnshaw, the Heineken Cup-winning former Bath player, put it: "You feel like you are on a stag do."

Earnshaw, who previously worked as England Sevens coach and taught economics for two years before joining Fletcher and Walton, is a big believer in fostering an encouraging environment.

He was not a fan of the shirt and tie as a teacher, and feels for his 12-year-old son who goes to school dressed as "a little businessman", but his approach is only partly about dress sense.

The battle for the number 35 shirt

"You don't want them to always think it is rugby," he continued. "It can be monotonous if you do the same thing all the time.

"A headband is cool and you would probably want one over a bib, but it does also mean you are searching for more information when looking for a team-mate.

"The way the game of the future is going, for them to play the international game they have to make decisions under pressure - it will be chaotic.

"Already it is getting harder and harder to tell who is a low and high number, and that is a good measure of where the game is going."

Those players who showcased those all-round skills, as Northampton Saints junior academy hooker Samson Ma'asi did, earned themselves the number 35 shirt.

Why? Because he dared to play like a hooker, a number eight, a fly-half and a full-back.

"The jersey is two + eight + 10 + 15," explained Earnshaw. "It is given to whoever is doing best on both sides of the ball, running, kicking, passing, making decisions, organising, deception and anticipation.

"They wear 35 because they have shown in the session that they are closest to the player of the future."

Target man

There are plenty of elements of the training session that are aimed at "stretching" and "agitating" players.

Sale centre Cameron Redpath is one who thrives on being "made to feel uncomfortable" on the pitch.

So much so, in fact, that when shirts with targets drawn on them come out, the son of former Scotland captain Bryan is among the first to come forward to wear it.

Every tackle on the 17-year-old, who is in his second year with the under-18s, was worth two points.

So, in slippery, cold morning conditions on the second day of the camp in Leeds, Redpath was one of two running, passing, side-stepping targets. By the end of the session, his shirt was in tatters.

It was a situation he relished as he scrambled for ways to avoid the next hit.

"Fletch, Walts and Rusty do a good job of keeping you on your toes," he said.

"I personally felt like I made the most mistakes in training because I was trying stuff. You learn from your mistakes and if you don't make mistakes you won't get any better.

"It does help that you can come here and make as many mistakes as you want and not be told you are rubbish or you are doing something wrong.

"It all helps when going into a more structured environment because if you have a chance to take, a hole that you have noticed because you have grown up playing this sort of rugby, you will then pick it off. That is where it links massively.

"They push you here to learn as much as you can so when you go to that next level you know how to learn even more."

Education, education, education

This is a coaching team that is dealing with trying to make stars of tomorrow, and none of them shy away from the fact that it means helping provide players capable of one day winning a World Cup.

Within a year, Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith has gone from making his under-18 debut to being named as a development player in Jones' England squad for the autumn internationals.

As each coach points out, they are dealing with children - teenagers with international-sized ambitions who are juggling schoolwork with trying to break through for their first professional deal or make that first senior appearance at club level.

These are players with the world seemingly at their feet, who also carry with them the weight of the world on their shoulders.

It is the first camp that players are introduced to a sports psychologist, with everything from dealing with sporting challenges to discussions about mental illness on the morning agenda.

Also among the typical support staff is a school tutor.

Walton, a former Scotland international who also played at junior level for England, says "education is promoted first" and stresses to players that there "are no guarantees in life" as injuries can end the most promising of careers early.

"We will stop players coming to camps if they are behind on school stuff," he said.

"There is no point if they are letting themselves down at school, they will just do the same with us and we would rather they weren't here. It is a balance."

Keeping these teenagers grounded in the reality of the sport and putting their aspirations in perspective is part of what they do.

Walton says they will "plant seeds" and often talk about life after rugby - even though some "would rather not".

'A World Cup-winning influence'

Much of England's senior squad have come through playing age-group international rugby for their country at some level.

Of the starting XV against Scotland in the 2017 Six Nations, a match England won to retain the title, only Wasps back-row forward Nathan Hughes had not worn the Red Rose as a junior.

Richard Hill, a 2003 World Cup winner with England, says having players such as Nick Isiekwe, Tom Curry and Jack Maunder make their England debuts in the summer, while they were still eligible to play for the World Rugby Under-20 Championships, is "testament to the pathway".

Hill, at the under-18s camp in Leeds in a coaching support role for three days before linking up with the seniors as team manager, is a conduit between the pathway and Jones' squad.

"Any way we can enhance a player fitting into the system when they come in, be it an element of familiarity or preparation, the better," said Hill.

"Eddie wants to talk about players who could potentially cope and wants to know about them as a person and player."

Former British and Irish Lions flanker Hill works as a mentor to players in both senior and age-group set ups. He has plenty of experiences to share, from the triumphant to turbulent.

"Sometimes in that role you have to make yourself a little vulnerable and show players what they are going through is normal," he said.

"As an under-16 player I sat on the bench, at under-18s I wasn't first choice - there were five games and I wasn't picked for the first and last, so it started and ended in disappointment.

"But I enjoyed the process of being involved, it gave me a taste and I wanted more. The only way to get it was to work hard."

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How England's next rugby union stars are being developed

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"I'm really fortunate that in the early part of my career I didn't have a lot of input from coaches." This is not exactly what you would expect to hear from the man helping to mould the next generation of England rugby union internationals.

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Nineteen African football associations have failed to access funds from the Fifa Forward Development Programme that was launched in May 2016 by world football's governing body.

An initiative of Fifa president Gianni infantino, it provides tailor-made support for football development in each of Fifa's 211 Member Associations (MAs) and the six confederations.

Between 2016 and 2018, each MAs is entitled to $1.25m yearly, a break down of $500,000 for operational costs and $750,000 for tailored projects which includes construction of facilities and other projects as planned by members and approved by Fifa.

Whilst all the European countries have claimed their shares, only 32% of funding is being utilised by Africa because 19 nations failed to meet the basic requirements from Fifa to access the funds.

"Africa has 54 member countries but only 25 countries have had access to this important support," Véron Mosengo-Omba, Fifa Director Member Associations & Development for Africa and Caribbean, told BBC Sport at a forum in South African city of Johannesburg.

"It's tough because problems ranging from a failure to present tailored projects, administrative problems, inability to provide valid documents to leadership crisis have deprived 19 other African countries.

"When you see top countries like Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Ethiopia among those yet to access it then you will understand our disappointments.

"To be clear, this is not an indictment on these countries because for some it has been difficult to meet set requirements by Fifa due to challenges at home.

"Importantly, MAs do not only benefit from financial aid for football development projects, but also from the creation of a strategic framework established with Fifa's support.

"We understand the challenges on the continent, the battle for leadership and political instability which has prevented them from benefiting from the objectives of the programme, but things have to change."

Fifa took advantage of the first ever Fifa Forward forum on the continent to emphasise that this programme provides more investment in development for members, to meet specific needs and to make sure all funds are used responsibly.

But more significantly, its clear objective is to ensure a level playing field, according to Fifa's chief Member Associations officer, Joyce Cook.

"We've seen tremendous improvements and positive results from countries like Iceland and Australia, as well as the Caribbean region," she said.

"Our role as custodians of the game is to develop the game and ensure that happens across the globe.

"As you know not every 211 MAs are in the same position, not all of them are wealthy, not all of them have the opportunities that perhaps some members in Europe have in terms of facilities.

"Our job is to ensure that we do everything we can to level that playing field, so every MAs and single person that wants to play football can do so without hindrance."

For the next Fifa Forward Programme (2019-2022), the MAs will have a global strategy that will serve as a foundation for the diverse projects that will be implemented during the cycle.

The global strategy will allow MAs to manage the game in a sustainable manner with a positive social impact across all levels, from grassroots to professional football.

The ultimate goal is to boost the growth of football in each of the MAs' countries by using the investments of the Fifa Forward Development Programme in an effective and responsible manner.

Fifa also says by 2022, more than US$3 billion dollars would have been spent and it has a stringent monitoring programme for the project.

"We have a procedure in place to ensure that money being approved is committed solely to football development," Cook added.

"Those who violate this agreement (diverts funds for private use) are handed severe punishments and banned from coming close to football.

"In Africa we make conscious efforts to ensure that there is continuity in running football because a change of leadership brings about different challenges and affects growth."

The next Fifa forward development forum on the continent is scheduled for the city of Lome in Togo on 5 December.

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Africa lags behind in Fifa development funding

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Nineteen African football associations have failed to access funds from the Fifa Forward Development Programme that was launched in May 2016 by world football's governing body. An initiative of Fifa president Gianni infantino, it provides tailor-made support for football development in each of Fifa's 211 Member Associations (MAs) and the six confederations.

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A £3 million investment in parkrun will see the free 5km runs focus on helping more women and people from lower socio-economic groups to get active.

We'll collaborate with parkrun for three years to support the creation of 200 new events across England.

The National Lottery money will help to build on the phenomenal growth parkrun has seen in the 14 years since its creation.

With events taking place in 584 locations around the UK each weekend, parkrun has seen more than 1.8 million people take part to date and our aim is to extend that network.

197.2 average number of participants per parkrun

Our investment will focus on the key areas of increasing the number of women and girls who take part, as well as increasing participation from lower socio-economic groups - two major targets in our strategy Towards an Active Nation.

"This important partnership with parkrun is part of our ongoing strategy to help grow new and innovative sporting ideas and broaden their reach into the demographics in society who are least likely to be active," said our chief executive, Tim Hollingsworth.

"The funding - which is only possible thanks to National Lottery players - will enable parkrun to reach females and people on a low income, who are less likely to be active than the general population.

"We know from our research that cost and a lack of local opportunities are real barriers in stopping people being more active, and what parkrun does brilliantly is offer free, community-based events for all abilities.

"We're looking forward to working with parkrun to help even more people get and stay active."

parkrun began in October 2004, with a timed 5km run in Bushy Park, south west London.

13.4 average number of parkruns participated in, per runner

Since then the free, timed, 5km runs have spread across the country and this investment will enable the modernisation of parkrun's digital platform for registration, results and event information, in order to allow it to continue to grow indefinitely.

"This is an endorsement of the strides we have taken to create a model that empowers communities to implement a permanent mixed gender, multi-generational health intervention that appeals to a broad cross-section of society, particularly those for whom physical activity and volunteering is not the norm," said the organisation's chief executive, Nick Pearson.

"Our growth over the past 14 years has been organic and to a large degree dictated by community demand, not need.

"If we are to realise our target of increasing the number of parkrun events by one third in socially deprived areas in England over the next three years, we require a level of investment that will allow us to be proactive rather than organic in our approach.

"We are now in a position to build on our message and encourage more people to walk, jog, run and volunteer at our events by growing into new areas and engaging new audiences."

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A £3 million investment in parkrun will see the free 5km runs focus on helping more women and people from lower socio-economic groups to get active. We'll collaborate with parkrun for three years to support the creation of 200 new events across England.

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Poorer children less active than wealthier peers, survey finds

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Sport England survey finds 15% of children from poorest families are active every day, compared with 22% of richest