Lost youth: RFU face questions with up to 20% of academy talent at risk | Robert Kitson

Up to a fifth of the most promising teenagers may be overlooked or ignored while the pressure of being an academy player could be negatively impacting on exam resultsLeading age-group, academy and school rugby coaches say blinkered management, flawed decision-making and petty jealousies have negatively affected the development of England’s next generation of young players. Despite boasting the world’s largest pool of registered youngsters, the Rugby Football Union stands accused of failing to maximise its resources and of allowing hundreds of potential top‑level athletes to drift out of the sp…