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Harlequins cut wages by 25% in response to COVID-19 postponements
Premiership side Harlequins have announced that they have asked all players, staff and coaches to agree to a 25% wage cut in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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With the Premiership rugby season postponed, the club announced they have come to the decision as a result of the disruption caused to their regular income streams.
With no match-day revenue coming in, clubs all across the UK are feeling the strain of covering their expenses.
Earlier on Monday, Championship side Coventry warned that their future is now at serious risk as they face a significant six figure loss of income.
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And now Harlequins have confirmed that they will need to cut wages in order to ensure the financial viability of the club, with a statement from CEO Laurie Dalrymple noting that “unprecedented times call for challenging decisions.”
“The past few days have been turbulent, unnerving and challenging for us all,” the statement read.
“Rugby has for the moment rightly paused, but in times like these, the most important thing is staying healthy and safe with the welfare of families and communities of paramount importance.
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? "The past few days have been turbulent, unnerving and challenging for us all."
? An update from CEO Laurie Dalrymple: https://t.co/H3NbsmLSLM#COYQ pic.twitter.com/P3S77CCD3s
— Harlequins ? (@Harlequins) March 23, 2020
“What is to come over the next few weeks and months across the globe is uncharted territory, but we must prepare for every eventuality. As it stands, both The Stoop and our training ground at Surrey Sports Park are shut to protect the health and welfare of our staff. We are not able to play rugby and most of our regular income streams have been disrupted following the postponement or cancellation of all of our rugby and non-rugby events.
“We need to ensure that we take action now to ensure the security of our staff and the financial viability of the Club. These are incredibly tough decisions in unprecedented times.
“Today, we have made the difficult decision to ask all our staff, players and coaches to support the Club through a 25% reduction of salary. We will look after our lowest earners and those facing financial difficulty.
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“This move hasn’t been taken lightly, but in order to protect jobs, the future of Harlequins and the excellent and committed people that resides within. Even with this important contribution, we will need all of our stakeholders to come together to help secure the Club’s future.
“In the coming days the focus of our Club will switch to supporting our local communities, doing our best to support those who need our help. Our social networks will be used to share health, fitness and welfare advice to help everyone through this difficult period – last week saw The Harlequins Foundation team launch free keep fit videos for example.
“We have an incredibly committed, dedicated and passionate workforce that prides itself on being Harlequins – giving their absolute all on and off the field to our Club. On behalf of our owners and the board, I want to take this moment to thank everyone at our Club for their incredible passion, support and sacrifice – from our players to our coaches, our maintenance staff, our community coaches our Foundation – everyone employed at Harlequins plays their part and has displayed so much humility in how they’ve embraced this difficult process. Likewise, to all our loyal and passionate supporters, we thank you more than ever for your backing at this time. A club is at its best when it comes together and acts as a community. Over the coming weeks and months, we will need to call upon everyone to get behind the Club to ensure its survival and enable it to flourish again.”
Watch: Big Jim Hamilton’s hilarious response to riddle
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to comments