Watson opens up on plight of England players and leaving Bath

England winger Anthony Watson has opened up regarding him parting ways with Bath and has offered a bleak view of an apparent plight being experienced by international England players with their clubs. 

In a very honest interview with The Telegraph, Watson, who has 56 international caps to his name, indicated a fear that players of his ilk are being unfairly treated at club level as they are expected to reap the financial rewards that come with the England jersey. 

 
“For it to be assumed you will be an international when it’s not a given - you might not even be picked [by England] for the autumn or the summer or a Six Nations - and then have to deal with potentially taking a reduced wage because of it, it seems like you are being punished for being good, in a sense, which is tough for a player to deal with,” he said. 

“I understand from a business perspective but it doesn’t make it any easier from a players perspective.” 

The 28 year-old also touched on the effect that the new, reduced salary cap is having on numerous players in the Premiership. 

“I want to highlight that there are people in rugby, very good players, without a job next year,” Watson added. “Mike Brown, Rob Miller at Wasps, my brother [Marcus Watson]. For those boys there needs to be more aftercare, looking after what they are doing next. The [salary cap] rule was only implemented 18 months ago - it’s difficult for people to have to think about transitioning into life after rugby because of a quick rule change.” 

Watson will turn out in the colours of Leicester Tigers next season after he was unexpectedly informed that his services would no longer be required at Bath. 

“They said they were not going to be able to offer anything to keep me,” Watson recalled.  

“There seemed to be a lot of mixed messages as to why the decision was made, who made it etc. I ended up with a lot of resentment, if I’m honest, towards a lot of the leadership in the organisation. I just felt that after all my time at the club, things should have been handled better.” 

Looking ahead to this next chapter with Leicester, Watson expressed that, at this stage of his career, financial gain comes second to winning trophies.  

“If I’m honest, the money was important to me in my early 20s for sure. Now the focus is on how long I have left in the Premiership, trying to win something. I want to finish my career having won the Premiership, and if I don’t do that I’ll be very upset. 

“I’ve been very fortunate to land in the best place for me. With everything Leicester have going on, not just winning but also wanting to be a better player, it’s the best place for me.” 

Watson also wished to set the record staright regarding his move away from Bath, a club he has served for nearly a decade. 

“The last thing I want is for this to come across as sour grapes. It’s important for me to make clear, especially to the Bath fans, that this wasn't a case of me jumping ship, that’s not how I roll at all. I will miss the club and many of the people connected to it, but it’s not going to be burning me up. When July 1 comes, I’m a Leicester player.”