Farrell insists rugby is “booming” despite issues in Premiership
England and Saracens captain Owen Farrell has insisted that rugby is “booming” across Europe despite the catalogue of issues the game faces at home.
Three Premiership clubs – Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish – went bust last season and Exeter Chiefs were forced to deny financial issues this week after a payroll error.
The game in France has had its own financial problems involving former World Rugby vice chair Bernard Laporte, while the United Rugby Championship is dealing with the cost of travelling between two continents and the environmental impact of their regular city hopping.
“If you look at rugby in general,” Farrell said at the launch of the Champions Cup at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday. “The countries that are playing in this tournament, it is booming.
“South African rugby is obviously flying at the moment off the back of the World Cup and the recent success in the Champions Cup.
“Irish rugby is flying and hopefully we [Saracens] do well in the competition as well as the other Premiership teams and those in the URC.
“La Rochelle have been the standard bearers for a couple of years now.”
Farrell self improvement
The Champions Cup gets underway in December in what will be the second season with South African involvement.
Farrell helped guide England to third at this autumn’s Rugby World Cup, where they beat Argentina for the bronze medal
And at 32 the Saracens fly-half is becoming a more senior player in his domestic and international squad.
Fellow No10 Johnny Sexton retired this year at 38 so there’s the feasibility for Farrell to play in the next World Cup, in Australia in 2027.
And there are always improvements to be made and layers to add to his game, he suggests.
“[Improvement] has always been the case since I was 18, there’s always stuff that is popping up to be better at,” Farrell added.
“I am trying to do more, fix up but that’s always been there.
“The exciting bit is what is in front of us and what I can take from what I have been doing and getting the best out of myself.”
Saracens will take on the South African side the Bulls, Irish team Connacht and French duo Bordeaux and Lyon in their European matches this season.