SOME of Britain’s top rugby professionals are insuring themselves with a local broker against career-ending injuries. Heritage Group Insurance Brokers has developed the Professional Rugby Players’ Personal Accident Facility, which will pay out in the event of injury-enforced retirement.

HGIB managing director Karl Bradley said that payouts would be between £100,000-£200,000, which would top up a payment from the RFU.

The product was the brainchild of Heritage development manager Brian Queru, a local rugby stalwart.

‘Brian is friendly with a lot of UK rugby people and has been working on this for probably the last 12 months and we are starting to make significant inroads in a small market,’ said Mr Bradley.

The company has an established link with London Wasps, particularly lock Simon Shaw, and Mr Bradley has also presented the plan to the Harlequins playing squad. Others are expected to follow.

Players insure themselves, unlike in football, where clubs would insure stars for their asset value as a transfer.

Mr Bradley said that the policy would also raise awareness of the company in the UK, where it did most of its business.

‘HGIB will never be a big broker in the UK and we don’t want to be. We are a Guernsey-based broker, dealing in niche markets and we want our name to be very good in those markets.’

He said that premium income was growing by 25% a year.

‘And 90% of enquiries come from referrals, which shows we must be doing something right.’

Mr Bradley joined the company seven years ago and has presided over staff growth from seven to the present 35.

A new retirement annuity trust product, introduced last year, has done business five times ahead of expectations.

And later this year the company will roll out a new liability insurance policy for directors and officers of amateur sports clubs and associations.