England's Genge wants new players' union after COVID-19 pay cuts

FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Six Nations Championship - England Training - Pennyhill Park Hotel, Bagshot, Britain - March 4, 2020 England's Ellis Genge during training Action Images via Reuters/Paul Childs

(Reuters) - England prop Ellis Genge has called for a new, more independent players' union amid dissatisfaction among fellow professionals about how pay cuts as a result of the new coronavirus pandemic have been handled by clubs and rugby authorities.

Genge said the Rugby Players' Association (RPA), founded in 1998, is reluctant to "bite the hand that feeds" as it receives funding from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Premiership Rugby (PRL) and players got a raw deal over recent pay cuts.