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England captain Maro Itoje and teammate Henry Pollock have been backed to become ambassadors for the country.
Steve Borthwick’s England side may be on a run of three consecutive defeats but Liberal Democrat MP Edward Morello insists the pair, alongside Women’s Rugby World Cup winning Red Roses, can help to project Britain’s soft power around the world.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Morello said that “sport is a powerful form of soft power”.
“Just as football, music and creative industries project British culture across the world, rugby can do the same,” he added.
“Players such as Maro Itoje, Ellie Kildunne, Henry Pollock, Sadia Kabeya, Ellis Genge and Meg Jones are elite athletes, but they are also ambassadors for the country.”
The US State Department runs a sports envoy and diplomacy programme whereas former cricketer Lord Ian Botham became a UK trade envoy to Australia while sitting in the House of Lords.
Ambassador Itoje?
It comes as the English top flight men’s Prem Rugby looks set to become a closed franchise league going forward.
Morello also said that English rugby faces a choice between this option and keeping the status quo, a format whereby clubs continue to lose millions between them.
The new franchise move will come with a range of terms and conditions that will observe men’s teams invest in women’s teams – or equivalent programmes – and continue to back the grassroots game while also keeping their own futures financially stable and secure.
“During Covid-19,” member of parliament for West Dorset, Morello, added “the Government provided £123.8m in loans to Prem Rugby clubs which was 57 per cent of the total amount for sports organisations.
“Champ rugby also received a combined £4.8m of loan support.
“That support helped clubs survive the pandemic. But the financial model of professional rugby is fragile.”
