This week saw players from across the country come together for the first RPA Players’ Board of the season. Player Representatives discussed the key issues in the game during a meeting which also saw the re-election of Chairman Mark Lambert and Phil Burgess as Vice Chairman. 

There are a number of new faces for the 2019/20 season, with Matt Garvey (Bath Rugby), Tom Lindsay (Bristol Bears), Phil Dollman (Exeter Chiefs), Greg Bateman (Leicester Tigers), and Richard Barrington (Saracens) all being elected to the board for the first time. Click here and select ‘The RPA Players’ Board’ to view the full list of Player Representatives for 2019/20.

Reflecting on the meeting, Mark said: "The first Players’ Board meeting was extremely positive. It is really important to set the tone for the season ahead, so I was really pleased with the engagement from our Player Representatives. There is a huge amount going on in the game at the moment so today was a great opportunity for us to discuss the key issues as a group and set our objectives for the next 12 months."

RPA Group CEO Damian Hopley said of the year ahead: "The role of the RPA Players’ Board cannot be understated. It's essential to see the players setting the agenda around the important issues in the game. We have an excellent group of Player Reps and we are confident we can achieve a huge amount this season, under the outstanding leadership of Mark Lambert and Phil Burgess."

A stalwart of the Players' Board, Harlequins veteran Lambert will take up the mantle of Chairman for the third season, while England 7s player Phil Burgess embarks on his second year in the role of Vice Chairman. The pair sat down with the RPA's Player Liaison Officer Christian Day and Damian Hopley to reflect on the meeting as well as the World Cup and upcoming season for a special edition of the RPA Players' Voice Podcast. You can listen to the episode HERE.