USA get PRL player release agreement for All Blacks test

There is now confirmation of USA Rugby's agreement with PRL for out of window release of players for the All Blacks test in Chicago, however it looks like it will come with a catch of not having players for the other 3 November games.

The USA needed their best players to be available for the All Blacks game, no doubt about it. Whilst the depth did well against the Maori last year, this will be a harder match and one where the USA will be expected to at least put up a fight. It would not be a good look to have your second string and lack of depth exposed when you’ve just sold out a 60,000 NFL stadium for the first time ever, and it would likely damage the chances for more future big events.

However the fact it was scheduled outside of the IRB release window was the issue here. It’s no problem for the All Blacks of course, nor was it for Japan last year, but unlike them the USA have a number of European based players in their team most in the Aviva Premiership (Samu Manoa, Cam Dolan, Blaine Scully, Eric Fry, Hayden Smith and Chris Wyles).

With RFU making a £110m agreement with PRL for compensation for out of window player release in 2007, that agreement puts them in a different stricter position to other organisations.

If they were to give away player release for nothing to another nation it would disrespect and threaten the agreement for compensation with the RFU.

This has led to the likes of Wales for instance complaining when players aren’t released, even though the player may want to play. When the policy was broken by Northampton last year with George North, they got a £60,000 fine, which they accepted as it they knew it was coming when they signed with an agreement to let him play out of window matches.

That was just one club who were willing to take that for a world renowned player though. The prospect of several different Premiership clubs taking £60,000 fines for players like Eric Fry were simply non existent.

The only way that the USA were going to get players released for the game was by making an arrangement with PRL. CEO Nigel Melville always seemed confident of a deal happening and according to Rugby Today USA Rugby have sacrificed release the other November games instead with a 3 for 1 deal, which was also suggested by Melville's quotes in the PRL statement.

From the USA’s point of view, release for the All Blacks game was a necessity so at least they have that and appear to have done so without it getting really ugly. From PRL’s point of view, it’s a reminder that out of window release isn’t an entitlement and comes at a price. The USA will accept this as a one off, but it’s unlikely this arrangement will be done with annually.

It was also interesting to note that PRL claim to have a "very good relationship with USA Rugby", which could be another reason there was seemingly no fight (at least publicly) during negotiations with them not wishing to sour relations as they have had their own future American projects rumoured in the past.

There is still no word as yet on the availability of the French based players either, although that isn’t nearly as crucial with just one likely starter playing in the Top 14.

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USA November schedule:
Outside IRB release window (with Aviva Premiership players):
01/11 – New Zealand – Soldier Field, Chicago
IRB release window (without Aviva Premiership players):
08/11 – Romania – Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest
15/11 – Tonga – Kingsholm, Gloucester
21/11 – Fiji – Stade de la Rabine, Vannes