Ex-England international's bold Premiership debt write off call
Austin Healey has urged the UK Government to write off the debt owed by Gallagher Premiership clubs in the wake of the pandemic on the grounds that they perform important roles in their communities. The 2022/23 league season launches when Bristol host Bath on Friday night but the new season is clouded in gloom before it has even started due to the financial crisis administration-threatened Worcester.
The Warriors owe in excess of £25million, while Wasps head a group of additional clubs who occupy precarious positions. Premiership teams secured £147m in loans from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS) to help with the financial fallout of covid but these are having to be repaid over ten years.
Former England star Healey believes it will take government assistance to improve rugby’s outlook. “Yes, off the field, clubs have got financial difficulties, but you look around the country because of the pandemic, most businesses are in exactly the same place,” said BT pundit Healey.
“Stock markets are off, credit markets are screwed, you can’t get debt anywhere – and there is a lot of debt everywhere – but all that is a by-product of two years of covid. Rugby was already a finely balanced industry and an immature industry before covid – it already had a lot of debt – and covid really hit it.
“It will bounce back. It’s got some great owners, some brilliant clubs, wonderful fans, and it just needs to steady the ship and see its way through – probably with some help from the Government to be honest. The clubs have had debt provided by the Government but they have got to pay debt back. There has been a lot of writing off of loans in various other industries.
“In a time when we are seeing energy companies making bumper profits, maybe DCMS will do something to help the clubs across the board because of the feelgood factor that rugby gives to communities and the amount they put back into communities. You can’t just help the ones that are in financial difficulty because it’d be unfair for them to just help one and not help the other twelve.”
Despite the struggle to stay afloat afflicting some clubs, Healey insists the Premiership should take comfort in knowing the quality of rugby on the pitch has never been higher. “If someone is considering joining their club to play or watching their local club, they should definitely do it,” he said.
“I have commentating for 14 years and there have been some really boring years. Dire games like a 6-3 Sale against Leeds. Or some terrible, dull, kick-fest. But last season there were very few games that were boring if any. You have got more entertainment now than you have ever had.
“The thing the Premiership massively has in its favour is that the product is amazing. More often than not the matches are great spectacles.”
- BT Sport is the home of Gallagher Premiership Rugby. The new season kicks off with Bristol vs Bath at 7pm on BT Sport 1 on Friday, September 9 – www.bt.com/sport/rugby-union
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments