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Declan Kidney hosts briefing to provide latest London Irish update
Declan Kidney has confirmed that this Saturday’s London Irish match will definitely go ahead even though players and staff at the club are still waiting to be paid their monthly salary. Payday was last Friday and despite assurances since then from the club’s prospective new owners that their delayed remuneration was on its way, payment still hasn’t materialised for any of the Exiles’ 130 players and staff.
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This has resulted in the Gallagher Premiership club being subjected to a swirl of speculation about its future, but Kidney explained that assurances have been received that the takeover situation will resolve itself and that wages will eventually be paid.
The director of rugby has no updated date as to when these monthly salaries would be received, nor did he have an exact date as to when the proposed American investor takeover would be complete.
What he did insist though at a 22-minute Thursday media briefing was that this Saturday’s season-ending clash versus Exeter in Brentford was going ahead as scheduled, that it was business as usual at the club with in excess of 10,000 tickets sold.
The briefing was very different from anything London Irish have experienced in quite some time. Usually, only a handful of people participate in their weekly media calls via Zoom, but Kidney fielded an audience of 20 people when providing the latest update on his club’s situation.
Starting with an unprompted two-and-a-half intro, Kidney explained: “I don’t have any great statement, I will just tell you what I know because we have been in the news during the week. There are obviously very sensitive negotiations going on at the moment between the owners and the respective buyers.
“Because payday has ended up in the middle of all that, that has highlighted something. I can inform you that no employees here – players, staff – have been paid as of yet but we have been given a lot of assurances from the prospective new ownership that will happen over the coming days.
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“So a bit like player negotiations, because of the sensitivities of them, it is very difficult to talk about them. I wouldn’t know a whole lot about them anyway because it is between the owner and the prospective owners.”
Asked about the chronology of the delicate situation that has arisen at London Irish, Kidney replied: “Payday was last Friday; we have not received payment yet. Players and staff. We have been working towards the game going ahead on Saturday. All insurances are paid up to date and we are looking forward to the game on Saturday.
“We have got a lot of assurances that things are working towards a positive conclusion. Representatives have come in and spoken to us and assured us that things will be in place and that there is a positive future ahead for us,” he continued, adding that a player boycott of Saturday’s match hasn’t been a talking point. “There has been absolutely no indication from the players that play is an issue.
“Preparations are in full swing, all the off-field stuff, staff, sales, everything is going ahead. In our training schedule, we were training Tuesday, Wednesday this week. Today [Thursday] is our down day. Training has taken place fully, and we have the captain’s run tomorrow [Friday] for what we know will be a very tough match against the European semi-finalists.
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“There is a lot of emotion floating around in end-of-season games. This one probably is even heightened even more… as far as we are concerned, we are ploughing ahead towards the match on Saturday.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the quality of players I work with just in terms of their application and their positiveness. I know we are a professional team, but these lads are way more than about money. They are working away all week and I haven’t actually had to pick them up.
“Not alone the players but also the coaching staff, the physios, the whole organisation of 130 people how they have gone about their work, you wouldn’t actually notice any difference in the way people approach this match… we are trying to finish as high up the table as we can. This is a really important match to us so as such I don’t have to pick them up, they are doing that just because of the quality of people they are.”
Kidney added that the London Irish situation was different from what happened at Wasps and Worcester earlier this season, those two clubs collapsing financially and falling out of the Premiership.
“You can draw too many comparisons between us and other teams then too and that would be wrong to do that. It’s unfortunate but we entrust that in the owners and the prospective owners that they will get a positive resolution for everyone involved here.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Exciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
11 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
11 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to comments