+- +-

+-Newcomers Start Here

+-Harlequins/Rugby Links


+-Articles


Author Topic: Women's rugby at risk of RFU funding cuts after Tyrrells ends sponsorship  (Read 442 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

deadlyfrom5yardsout

  • Lions Captain
  • ******
  • Posts: 3838

Gerard Meagher (Guardian)

The Rugby Football Union has refused to rule out funding cuts for top-flight women’s clubs after it was announced that Tyrrells will be ending its sponsorship of the Premier 15s league in August.


RFU will need government bailout if England do not play until summer 2021

The RFU is hopeful of securing another title partner, insisting it remains “an attractive proposition”, but warned there would be no guarantees for the 10 clubs, with the union forecasting losses of up to £122m because of the coronavirus pandemic if the men’s autumn internationals do not go ahead.

When Tyrrells became the title sponsor for the Premier 15s in 2017, the RFU pledged investment of £2.4m into the league over the next three years, which equates to £80,000 a season for each club. This season’s Premier 15s competition was declared null and void in March and the RFU said it was unable to offer assurances over the same level of financing in the future.

“The RFU has been very clear on the financial impact of Covid-19 if autumn internationals don’t go ahead,” a spokesperson said. “The women’s game and Premier 15s remain key priorities; however, like all businesses, until we have clarity on absolute revenues, we can’t provide absolute guarantees on any future funding.

“The women’s game is crucial to the health of the overall game and we are proud of the role we will continue to play in investing and growing participation by ensuring the women’s game is not hit disproportionally.”


The Premier 15s has enjoyed considerable growth in its three seasons and peak viewing figures of the 2019 final were more than double those of 2018. Live attendances have risen by 27% but given that the sponsorship market has felt the full force of the pandemic, it is unlikely the RFU will be able to secure a deal as lucrative as that with Tyrrells.


Rocker

  • Lions Captain
  • ******
  • Posts: 1390
  • Location: Hampshire
Not entirely surprising. A lot of business will be looking hard at outlay at the moment and not committing to non-essential spending.

Yareet

  • Lions Captain
  • ******
  • Posts: 1877
Not entirely surprising. A lot of business will be looking hard at outlay at the moment and not committing to non-essential spending.

Define “essential”. Research (most recently during the 08/09 financial crash) shows that choosing not to advertise (of which sponsorship is a part) during an economic downturn has a massively detrimental effect on sales which takes years to overcome.

Brown Bottle

  • Lions Captain
  • ******
  • Posts: 3244
Define “essential”. Research (most recently during the 08/09 financial crash) shows that choosing not to advertise (of which sponsorship is a part) during an economic downturn has a massively detrimental effect on sales which takes years to overcome.

What sales?

Domestos

  • Baa Baas Captain
  • *****
  • Posts: 748
Like Like x 1 Funny Funny x 1 View List

GP2110

  • Touchline Member
  • **
  • Posts: 164
It is inevitable that sponsors of sport will prioritise their spending on sports with big followings. The women's game (at club level especially) remains a minuscule part of the sports market in this country. It is therefore likely that it is a sport sector which is likely to face real funding problems in an economic downturn.

Given that all clubs make a loss on their women teams, how many will be happy to continue to absorb that loss as part of the long term plan? It may be that the immediate survival threat takes immediate priority over plans to expand the game in the medium to long term.

Yareet

  • Lions Captain
  • ******
  • Posts: 1877
It is inevitable that sponsors of sport will prioritise their spending on sports with big followings.

Not sure it's as inevitable as you seem to think. Different brands will have different priorities and budgets.

The Americas Cup is hardly a sport with a huge following. The last one had global viewing figures of 450mn - roughly half what the Rugby World Cup gets - yet the title sponsor appears to be Prada.

GP2110

  • Touchline Member
  • **
  • Posts: 164
450 mn is huge in comparison to women's club rugby.

I would suspect the average viewers per match week are in the low thousands leaving aside the one off events.

Rocker

  • Lions Captain
  • ******
  • Posts: 1390
  • Location: Hampshire
Also you have to look at the likely demographic you're advertising to, I suspect that the average viewer of the Americas Cup is wealthier than the average viewer of Women's rugby.

RodneyRegis

  • Lions Captain
  • ******
  • Posts: 3386
When the money stops, so does the virtue signalling.
Funny Funny x 1 View List

Fearless Fred

  • Lions Captain
  • ******
  • Posts: 3776
According to a piece in the Times today, the loss of the sponsorship of Tyrells is actually a rather mundane one:

Quote
Last week, as the season fizzled to what would have been its close, it was also announced that Tyrrells, the Premier 15s title sponsor, would not be renewing its contract for the next three years.

It was a decision that had nothing to do with the coronavirus — it is understood to be, in part, because Tyrrells is now owned by KP Snacks, which has agreed to sponsor cricket’s the Hundred — but trying to find a new title sponsor during a global pandemic is not a situation any sport would wish upon themselves.

Despite this, the mood among players and clubs was one of optimism, a fresh start, and there was not a sense that the former sponsor would be mourned. Former England captain Catherine Spencer criticised the snack brand for not being “engaged” in the women’s game.

 

+-User

Welcome, Guest.
Please login or register.
 
 
 

Login with your social network

Forgot your password?

+-Site Statistics

Members
Total Members: 1162
Latest: Marsi1e
New This Month: 2
New This Week: 1
New Today: 0
Stats
Total Posts: 119469
Total Topics: 6383
Most Online Today: 365
Most Online Ever: 4089
(Sunday 10-Oct-2021, 12:56*)
Users Online
Members: 19
Guests: 236
Total: 255