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Saracens could potentially receive equal RFU funding as 11 other cash-strapped Championship sides
Despite the slashing of the annual RFU grant to Championship sides as of next seasons, relegated Saracens could be set to receive an equal share of the much-reduced sum.
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The RFU announced that they would be radically reducing funding to English rugby’s second league, which is nominally fully professional, but who rely heavily on the subsistence payment from the governing body.
The announcement has caused dismay across the league. This season Championship sides were able to avail of roughly £500,000 per club, which would work out at the equivalent of 20 players at £25,000 per season.
That figure has nearly been halved. According to an RFU statement, aggregate funding will amount to approximately £288,000 per club and “represents a return to the levels of funding prior to the 2016 – 2020 cycle”.
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RugbyPass asked the RFU to clarify if Saracens – as a Championship club – would receive the payment and a spokesperson for the body said it was yet to ‘confirm the specifics’ of the funding.
Not only could Saracens possibly receive this grant, but they are potentially set to avail of at least £2million in a Premiership parachute payment on their way to the second tier.
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It's been a Wednesday of mounting fury in Championship rugby circles… @chrisjonespress hears from two club coaches furious with the RFU's budget cut https://t.co/S4guDoJjDN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 12, 2020
Despite an imminent player exodus, Saracens are expected to bounce straight back into the Premiership from the Championship. However, the job of competing with the English giants for smaller Championship clubs has just become significantly harder.
Championship clubs are furious at the cuts. A joint statement from Cornish Pirates and Coventry Rugby said: “For the RFU to then use their own failure to deliver on these as a justification for unilaterally decimating the Championship is nothing short of outrageous, not least because it has come from people – CEO Bill Sweeney and Director of Performance Rugby Conor O’Shea – who have been in post for only a short time, in Conor’s case just a matter of weeks and with Bill only having been in the sport for six months.”
Bad form by the RFU?
https://t.co/tZjMG5dId1— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 12, 2020
Elsewhere Saracens will be donating £1,000 for every try scored by Saracens Men at Allianz Park to three good causes for the remainder of the 2019/20 campaign.
The initiative will begin when Mark McCall’s side host Leicester Tigers on Saturday 7th March and money raised for each home dot down will be equally split between Saracens charity partner Duchenne UK, the Saracens Sport Foundation and the Saracens High School.
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Amid the drama of Saracens, reports that SA could soon join the #GuinnessSixNations & news that the RFU will cut Greene King IPA Championship sides’ funding in half, there is, thankfully, some actual rugby to watch this weekend – writes @alexshawsport ???https://t.co/GDaDBVOYyz
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 12, 2020
This weekend’s match against Sale Sharks (Saturday 15th February) will also be used to raise money for a separate charitable fund.
Worcester Warriors second row Michael Fatialofa’s JustGiving page will receive £1,000 for every Saracens try during the game as well as money collected via buckets around the ground, in the hospitality lounges and on the club’s match day shuttle buses.
There will also be a book where supporters of both Saracens and Sale Sharks can write messages of support for Michael.
Fatialofa sustained a life-changing spinal cord injury at Allianz Park in January and RPA’s (the official charity of the Rugby Players Association) campaign is raising funds to support the 27-year-old and his family with his needs throughout this testing time.
A statement read: “With the ongoing uncertainty over Michael’s prognosis, length of rehabilitation and future career/work prospects, donations will help cover immediate necessities as well as future finances, costs and unforeseen expenses of Michael and his family.”
For fans who would like to donate directly, they can do so via the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/michaelfatialofa
Comments on RugbyPass
I still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
91 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
2 Go to comments