The collapse of Wasps, London Irish and Worcester 18 months ago should have been a warning shot that neither PRL nor any Premiership club could ignore. However, there are signs that most clubs have not shelved their bad habits, despite a scathingly critical UK Parliament report in January 2023 when a DCMS rugby committee stated that the financial situation of the Premiership teams is "clearly unsustainable".
This week we were presented with a picture of a Premiership which appears to be stuck in a debt cycle, with nine of the 10 clubs posting losses in the 2023 financial year for a cumulative total of £23.5 million. At the same time their umbrella company, PRL, filed a loss of £23.6m, for overall losses in the elite English league of £47.1m.
All of this, just four years after receiving £200m from selling 27 percent of PRL to CVC. The only club yet to submit its accounts for 2023 is Newcastle, who are rooted to the foot of the table after 14 successive losses - and late submissions are rarely a good sign.
The picture is even more concerning when you take into account an estimated Premiership debt mountain of £300m, which was accumulated by the surviving 10 clubs prior to their 2023 losses.
Denne historien er fra March 31, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Denne historien er fra March 31, 2024-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
I WAS at last week's game against the All Blacks and as much as I enjoyed my first visit to the stadium since the Six Nations, I couldn't help noticing a different attitude of those in control of the stadium's notification system which puts out messages to the crowd.
Cuthbert: Wales have to deliver
ALEX Cuthbert says the pressure on Wales is huge ahead of their opening Autumn Nations Series game against Fiji today.
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
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning head coach Nathan Smith is backing Fran Goldthorp to compete with Ellie Kildunne, right, for England's No.15 jersey.
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.
