Features

Martyn Thomas - Chairman of the RFU

Can Saints go marching on?

On Monday Night Sport, you may have heard from Professor Bill Ribbans. He is one of the country's leading orthopaedic surgeons and is based at Northampton General Hospital. He says that the Anglo-Welsh competition is a tournament too far and that the rugby season has to be over-hauled in order to prevent injuries taking their toll.

Professor Ribbans has operated on and assessed a number of high profile sportsmen, from rugby players at Northampton Saints like Bruce Reihana to Michael Schumacher and Andrew 'Freddie' Flintoff.

Hear what he said here:

Professor Bill Ribbans discusses rugby fixtures > Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer

Phil Winstanley from Premier Rugby

Phil Winstanley is from Premier Rugby, which represents the 12 Premiership clubs. He told BBC Radio Northampton's James Burridge it's highly unlikely the season's structure could change:

Premier Rugby's Phil Winstanley talks structure > Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer

You can also hear the Rugby Football Union's take on it. Martyn Thomas is the Chairman of the RFU's management board and discussed a number of things with BBC Radio Northampton's Geoff Doyle. He discussed the Anglo-Welsh Cup, changing the format of the rugby season, the number of games players fit in to the season and more:

Hear the RFU's thoughts on this with Martyn Thomas > Audio and Video links on this page require Realplayer