Harlequins CEO refutes latest Premiership debt reports

Harlequins CEO Laurie Dalrymple has responded on Twitter to a report on the extent of the club’s debt, saying it is “factually inaccurate.”

The Daily Mail recently published the results of an investigation into the scale of the debt that Gallagher Premiership clubs find themselves in at the moment, with Harlequins sitting in the middle of the pile with a reported £33.7m of debt. Of that figure, it was said that £1.6m was tax debt.

Dalrymple has responded to those claims though, writing on Twitter: “I can’t speak for all clubs, but the Harlequins data is factually inaccurate. We’re up to date with all of our HMRC payments – VAT/PAYE and NIC.”

I can’t speak for all clubs, but the @Harlequins data is factually inaccurate. We’re up to date with all of our HMRC payments – VAT/PAYE and NIC. https://t.co/C7ERtTmufn

— Laurie Dalrymple (@LaurieDalrymple) September 4, 2022

Of the remaining teams in the Premiership, only Bristol Bears and London Irish were reported to have been in credit with regards to tax debt, but both have a greater total debt than Quins, with Bristol having the second greatest in the league with £51.2m. That figure is dwarfed by Wasps’ total debt of £112.3m, which makes up 20 percent of the league’s combined debt. Exeter Chiefs conversely come out best with only a total debt of £13m.

Quins get their season underway this Saturday with a trip to Kingston Park to take on Newcastle Falcons, having lost their final preseason match against Leinster last Friday at the Stoop. Meanwhile, a cloud still hangs over other teams in England concerning their future, chiefly Worcester Warriors, who face London Irish this Saturday.