As Nick Cain detailed in his damning column last week, Rugby Football Union CEO Bill Sweeney is clearly not up to the task of running English rugby.
In February 2020, Nottingham chairman Alistair Bow stated: “Bill Sweeney may go down as the man who ruined English rugby. The RFU have sold their soul to Premiership rugby and CVC.”
Sweeney’s crime then was to inexplicably ruthlessly cut the £534,000 budget for each of the 12 clubs in the Championship, the vital but dismissively treated all important feeder league for the Premiership, back to the 2015 level of £288,000 per club for the 2020-21 season.
Since this ill-conceived decision Sweeney has done his best to justify Bow’s doom-ridden prediction. As Cain details, his latest £296m Professional Game Partnership (PGP) proposal is yet again handing a huge funding deal to the debt-laden clubs in the Premiership, a cumbersome sporting concept overpaying players relying on millionaire owners, RFU money, and private equity money for survival.
On Sweeney’s watch, the Premiership has become ring-fenced ending promotion and relegation while three clubs, Worcester, Wasps and London Irish went bankrupt last winter. Then in September, Championship title holders Jersey Reds ceased trading through an abject lack of RFU support despite the fact England use the club’s facilities as a training base.
Denne historien er fra November 19, 2023-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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Denne historien er fra November 19, 2023-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Sleightholme shows he has pace to burn
OLLIE Sleightholme recently clocked his fastest sprint time and is racing to cement his spot as an England starter.
McGoverne says playing for Chiefs is her priority
EXETER fly-half Olivia McGoverne has opted for club over country which will rule her out of contention for New Zealand’s World Cup bid in 2025.
Trinity aim to get the culture right
HIGH-FLYING Trinity have made a remarkable turnaround this season after narrowly avoiding relegation last term, heading into this weekend unbeaten and are now eyeing up promotion from Level 7.
YOUNG GUNS
Louie Gulley experienced the environment of England U20s’ World Championship triumph up close this summerand now has a burning desire to become an age-grade star. The 19-year-old Exeter Chiefs hooker was part of Mark Mapletoft’s squad but didn’t manage to make an appearance during the tournament.
The Cherry & Whites lay down marker over Lucs
CAMBORNE maintained their lead at the top of the table with a bonus-point win against their nearest challengers in a pulsating game.
A brace from Botterill is key to victory for Esher
A highly entertaining and enthralling contest between two sides fighting at the foot of the table was eventually won by Esher after the lead had changed no less than seven times throughout an absorbing afternoon.
Chiefs in hunt for new investment
TONY Rowe has confirmed the search for new investors into Exeter Chiefs has begun as he looks to safeguard the longterm future of the Premiership club.
McParland keen to shine for England A
NORTHAMPTON scrum-half Archie McParland feels he has returned a better player following a nasty injury that denied him a World Cup winners medal and is now ready to fly into a new opportunity with England A.
Undercard get chance to show their A-game
ENGLAND’S A team today get their first major work-out after being resurrected earlier this year when Australia’s undercard provide the opposition at The Stoop.
England look like a clueless rabble
I WATCHED with a growing sense of bewilderment as England yet again took to the field against Australia looking to all intents and purpose as if they had just been introduced to each other on the coach into Twickenham.
