Irish rugby 'burning' €5million a month to keep show on the road
Irish rugby’s leading official Philip Browne has issued a dire warning that IRFU business is in financial peril due to the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions that see matches taking place behind closed doors with no spectators present. Rugby in Ireland returned last month with the restarted Guinness PRO14 season, a campaign that culminated in last Saturday’s title win by Leinster against Ulster at a deserted Aviva Stadium.
That emptiness will continue this weekend with Leinster hosting Saracens with no fans present in Dublin and Irish officials are gravely concerned about their bottom line if current pandemic restrictions continue into the winter and force them to play their series of home Test matches in the Guinness Six Nations and the Nations Cup behind closed doors.
Speaking ahead of the likely introduction of further restrictions for the Dublin area due to a recent increase in the number of Covid-19 cases, IRFU CEO Philip Browne presented a grim outlook to an Irish Government committee.
He outlined how Irish Rugby’s net losses in 2020 as a result of Covid-19 are forecasted to amount to in excess of €30m, and the union’s financial situation will deteriorate “at an alarming rate” into 2021 if spectators do not return to stadia in meaningful numbers.
He further warned that despite the implementation of cost-cutting measures across the union, including salary cuts of up to 20 per cent, redundancies and the elimination of all but the most critical overhead costs, the IRFU’s current financial position was not sustainable and would require “significant additional actions” after December if there was no sight of supporters returning at that point.
This Leinster side deserved a flashier denouement to their unbeaten campaign but their dominance of the PRO14 isn't necessarily a negative, argues @heagneyl ???https://t.co/jRnY80TkpY
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 13, 2020
Browne added that the IRFU will be forced to commence borrowings in January, forecasting that until “we can admit spectators in meaningful numbers into our stadia, and return to some level approaching self-sustainability, the whole rugby infrastructure built over the last 150 years is under threat”.
He said it was anticipated that the IRFU will continue to “burn” at least €5m a month, primarily on professional game wages and costs, if the situation does not improve and warned that “the very existence of professional rugby on the island would be under significant threat in 2021”.
“The adjective ‘unprecedented’ has been overused over the past six months but our experience to date and history will show that if anything, the description of the 2019/20 season as being unprecedented is significantly understated,” said Browne, appearing at the meeting on The Impact of Covid-19 on Team Sport in Ireland alongside representatives from the FAI and GAA.
“Our season, and our business operations, were thrown into chaos by the Covid-19 pandemic in March when our Ireland vs Italy Six Nations fixtures became the first mass gatherings to be cancelled. This represented the first major blow to our sport and finances.
“Pre-Covid our financial situation was looking quite positive. Now we are facing an unprecedented cashflow crisis as we try to work towards the objectives of protecting our national and provincial teams, ensuring that we preserve the amateur club game and support the jobs of our 500 employees to the extent that we can.
“The current projected position to the end of June 2021, showing a negative cash swing of almost €40m from a cash surplus of some €28m in June 2020, to borrowings of just over €10m, backed by union assets, is very serious and is being kept under constant review.
“If these projections were to materialise, the very existence of professional rugby on the island would be under significant threat in 2021. Our audited financial statements for the period to July 31, 2020, will show an actual record financial loss of more than €35m.
“Back in January 2020, we were forecasting for a planned deficit of €3.5. Until we can admit spectators in meaningful numbers into our stadia, and return to some level approaching self-sustainability, the whole rugby infrastructure built over the last 150 years is under threat.
“We will, of course, continue to follow NPHET and public health guidelines in relation to this, but that support comes at a significant cost to our sport. It is our ambition, with the support of Government, to survive as a properly functioning unit and in this way repay the faith shown in us by playing our part in supporting the national recovery effort which will demand so much of us all in the years to come.
“We believe that rugby has a significant role to play in the physical and mental wellbeing of Irish people, and in the face of this cruel pandemic we continue to have a positive contribution to public health and Irish society and hope to do so for years to come.”
We can't wait for the action to unfold! https://t.co/ot0NE8ZlzM
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 17, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Absolutely..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.
5 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…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 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 commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
5 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to comments