This is thrown into sharp relief by the size of the Irish Rugby Football Union’s financial reserves before the start of the coronavirus pandemic, compared to its counterparts in the Four Home Unions.
The Irish governing body was in a league of its own, recording total reserves of almost £102m in 2019. The Welsh Rugby Union was the only other national body to record positive figures last year, with a £25.3m reserve, whereas both England and Scotland held a negative position.
The Scottish Rugby Union has maintained a consistent reserve deficit since 2011, which had reduced to minus £4.4m in 2019 – and could have been reduced by at least another half a million if it had slashed the vastly inflated £900,000 salary paid to its chief executive, Mark Dodson.
This brings us to the RFU, and the negative reserves of minus £24.4m in 2019, which were highlighted in this column earlier this month. This focused on the £91m sinkhole in the RFU’s reserves from a positive position of almost £62m in 2011, with a projection that it would have reached at least £67m eight years later if established fiscal guidelines had been applied.
Instead, the RFU’s recent stewardship of English rugby’s financial affairs appear glaringly inadequate by comparison with not just the Irish and Welsh unions, but also the Scots.
Denne historien er fra November 01, 2020-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Denne historien er fra November 01, 2020-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Unbeaten Lymm put the Tykes on a leash
LYMM maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, taking the major scalp of Leeds Tykes and ending the visitors' unblemished start.
Dramatic late win boosts leaders
A LAST-minute converted try saw Tonbridge Juddians snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at Barnes.
England need to be more consistent
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Cuthbert: Wales have to deliver
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Anyanwu heads the list of star attractions
TOP 14 transfer speculation is always thoroughly entertaining, and this season has so far been no exception.
Goldthorp can challenge Kildunne for No.15 spot
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Four-try David calls the shots for Bears
MILLIE David helped Bristol blow Leicester away after scoring four of their 10 tries at Welford Road.
Scott-Young keen to follow his father
TYPICAL of most Australians, Scott-Young Angus has fairly sunny disposition and the loose forward is confident that Saints can soon start to turn things around on the road.
When value for money is not part of the deal
ENGLAND'S bench strategy against New Zealand - goodbye \"bomb squad\", hello \"squib squad\"-has been investigated, psychoanalysed, convicted on all charges and mercilessly sentenced by the entire rugby world and its maiden aunt, so there is no earthly point in returning to the scene of the crime.
'I want to prove my worth to Bath'
OUT-OF-FAVOUR winger RuBath aridh McConnochie is hoping to use the Premiership Cup to lay down a challenge to Johann van Graan and make his selection claims impossible to ignore.