It seems Rugby Union are similar to League in club rugby. Four clubs have gone bust last season, all the Premiership clubs lost money, and it’s very hard, if not impossible for any clubs to get into the premiership. Cornwall have just axed plans to move to a new bigger stadium, because of money worries and worried they won’t be able to get promoted.
Clubs are all struggling to get sponsorship, with their money going down. The RFU have also made 2 years of funding cuts.
The latest cub to go bust Jersey Reds have spent 11 years in the lower division , but have now run out of money.
So it seems, below international level, Union is struggling as much or more than League is.
Rugby union is suffering at grass roots level - for instance a club in Gloucester, Gordon league, were putting out 4-6 teams 10 years ago, now they struggle for 2
the RFU have reduced funding and twickenham ticket allocations to clubs as they sell more to corporate promoters at enriched rates.
professional ru has not got the money behind it without individual investors - Bristol, bath are 2 obvious ones.
very similar problems in both codes
Talking to a RU supporter and he reckons that if the damages case goes hard against the RU and clubs they will go bankrupt and start up again under another team name.
Rugby Union has been surviving for years on sugar daddies to keep them going. The crowds could never pay for the mega high salaries the players were receiving. Come COVID and the financial tightening for companies as well as individuals, it is not surprising that so many have gone to the wall. I am just surprised it took this long to be honest.
There's no money in rugby (either code) where there's no sugar daddy. I'm convinced that at some point, someone is going to walk in with cash, do an IPL/LIV in rugby and take the best players from both codes and both hemispheres. A tweak to the rules e.g. 9s or something like that, and I'm sure it would take off. Predominantly Union rules but with rolling mauls/PTBs and fast lineouts etc. The RFU and RL will try to ban the players from local and world comps but players will follow the money and the sanctions will eventually ease.
Rugby (both codes) is not particularly rewarding for the effort expended or the enduring physical and mental health toll.
You could well be right their.
A fast passing game, cutting out the lying on and referees tutorials to explain the scrum or the penalties, and the entertainment-based IMG customers would go for it!
Someone I know in South Wales tells me many players down there are on £100,000 a year. If that is true it is no wonder clubs are going bust.