The world of English rugby has been rocked by explosive revelations from former star Danny Care about the toxic culture that festered under controversial coach Eddie Jones. In his new autobiography, Care pulls back the curtain on a regime he likens to a “dictatorship,” painting a disturbing picture of emotional abuse, fear, and the steep toll taken on players and staff alike.
A “Dystopian” Environment of Fear and Bullying
Care, a veteran of 101 England caps, describes an atmosphere where players felt “terrified” of Jones and lived in constant dread of his outbursts and mind games. “It was like living in a dictatorship,” Care writes bluntly. “Did Eddie rule by fear? Of course he did, everyone was bloody terrified of him.”
The scrum-half compares the experience to being back in school, helplessly watching someone get bullied and feeling relieved it wasn’t you. Players would whisper to each other that everything was a test, steeling themselves for Jones’s next move. Care says it felt like being characters in a “dystopian novel.”
The Human Cost of a “Dictatorship”
Beyond the locker room, Care reveals the devastating impact on backroom staff. He claims some analysts were reduced to “shells of their former selves” by the pressure and mistreatment. It paints a chilling picture of the human wreckage left in the wake of Jones’s tenure.
“Some of [the analysts] ended up as shells of their former selves.”
– Danny Care on the toll taken on England staff
Damning Indictment of RFU Leadership
Care’s account raises serious questions of how this toxic environment was allowed to take root and persist. He points the finger squarely at Jones’s employers, the Rugby Football Union (RFU), and officials “in high-level positions within the RFU who were aware of the truth but glossed over it.”
That those in power seemingly turned a blind eye to player and staff welfare in pursuit of results is a damning indictment. The RFU claims it received no formal complaints about Jones, but Care’s revelations suggest a culture where speaking out was simply not an option. The governing body cannot evade accountability.
Failure Spans Coaching Regimes
Troublingly, Care describes a similarly unhealthy atmosphere in the period before Jones under former coach Stuart Lancaster. He says the squad constantly felt judged and details the visible strain on Lancaster before England’s disastrous home World Cup in 2015.
“[Lancaster] looked like a ghost, as if all the life had been sucked out of him.”
– Danny Care on former England coach Stuart Lancaster
That two consecutive England regimes fostered such corrosive environments points to deep-rooted cultural failings at the highest levels of English rugby. It spans administrations and falls firmly at the feet of RFU leadership to address.
A Shameful Wall of Silence
Perhaps most concerning is the long wall of silence around these open secrets. Care himself acknowledges simmering resentment among dropped players but a reticence to speak out for fear of jeopardizing careers and livelihoods. The price of telling truths was simply too high.
It is to Care’s credit that he is now shining a light where it needs to be shone, albeit belatedly and with a book to promote. But the onus should never have been on players to be whistleblowers. The RFU’s failure to provide proper channels and safeguards is shameful.
Time for Unflinching Honesty and Change
English rugby needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Care’s revelations demand unflinching honesty, introspection, and a determination to root out toxic cultures that have been allowed to fester unchecked.
Those in leadership positions, both past and present, need to be held accountable. Stronger safeguards must be put in place to protect player and staff welfare. A culture of fear and silence cannot be allowed to take hold again. Sunlight, as they say, is the best disinfectant.
Perhaps most importantly, the very ethos and values at the heart of the English game need to be reexamined. Care’s exposure of the human casualties, on and off the pitch, of a win-at-all-costs mentality should prompt deep soul-searching. Building a healthy culture and environment is not antithetical to success – it is fundamental to it.
English rugby stands at a crossroads, its darkest secrets thrust unflinchingly into the light. How it responds, the bravery and honesty with which it confronts hard truths, will define its path forward. The revelations are shocking, the human toll devastating. The time for action is now.
