Mike Brown: Ex-England full-back supports idea of central contracts in rugby union

Mike Brown signed a new contract with Leicester Tigers on Tuesday

The Rugby Football Union should look to introduce central contracts to ease the Premiership's money problems, says ex-England full-back Mike Brown.

The Leicester back, 37, supported the idea discussed by England's Courtney Lawes and Danny Care earlier this week.

The financial demise of Worcester and Wasps last year prompted the RFU to say the idea would be considered.

"Central contracts could be a good idea in terms of taking pressure off clubs financially," Brown said.

The idea of central contracts would see rugby union follow cricket's example, with England internationals and some of the game's highest-paid players largely funded by the governing body.

It also means that the availability of players for their club sides could be further dictated by the RFU.

Central contracts are also seen as a way of trying to keep England players in the Premiership, with a number of international stars - including Sam Simmonds and Luke Cowan-Dickie - committing to French clubs in recent months.

Brown, a two-time Premiership winner with Harlequins who earned 72 caps for England, says it is time for the "big things" to be discussed in order to make "a significant difference".

"If the RFU are paying for a decent amount of the top players' salaries then there's money there that can be used elsewhere in the salary cap," he said.

"It takes the pressure off them, their load management and the alignment for players.

"Hopefully we won't in the future see players having to go abroad through lack of jobs, or financial pull. We need to stop that happening.

"It takes those people who need to be aligned at the top our our game in a room discussing these sort of things, being creative and being innovative."