Monday 27 April 2020 23:30, UK
England and Leicester prop Ellis Genge wants to set up a new players' union after feeling badly advised to accept pay cuts amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Genge insists his proposed new organisation would complement rather than rival the Rugby Players' Association.
The RPA represents more than 1,200 past and present professional players, both male and female, but Genge claims his new group would have an advantage because "we wouldn't have to answer to a governing body".
"We are not making a new RPA," Genge told BBC Sport. "I think they do really good stuff with welfare in rugby and they look after people really well.
"But I do feel that people were poorly advised. People were advised from the off to sign the contracts without reading them, almost. Commercially, I didn't think everyone was being represented very well.
"So I am trying to put together a players' union. It is not to replace the RPA or to combat the RFU. Honestly, it is nothing of the sort.
"It is just so people can get really good advice from trusted professionals in those specific fields: around commercial and legal."
Most Premiership clubs, including Leicester, asked players to accept blanket 25 per cent pay cuts following the suspension of sport.
However, a stand-off occurred between Genge and the Tigers after the England prop sought legal help, before he was eventually placed on furlough.
