Quote Howardposner="Howardposner"And
Premiership Rugby has reason to feel reasonably well placed to weather the economic downturn. It made record revenues of £50m in the 2010-11 season, compared with £34m five years ago, while the 12 clubs brought in £114m.
The RFU also made record revenues of £136m last season
Saracens sold more tickets for their games at Wembley than the RFL cup final!!
Rugby league, is a part-time sport in England, the fact that some clubs are not is down to specific modes that work for them and are all slightly different.'"
Some interesting opinions here.
When you look at the companies, especially financial/insurance, who fight to sponsor RU it makes you wonder why? The sponsorship from state bail outs like RBS/HBOS/Lloyds I find shocking, are the old boy networks in floated banks so strong they can do what they wish ?
Saracens 'sold' all those tickets yet play in a half empty stadium every home game in Watford, how many of those Wembley tickets were handed out by sponsors to folk who never go till the next free 'event'. Less than 6500 v Wasps and less than 6000 v Gloucester the last 2 home games for them.
Why are BT, BBC, ESPN, Canal+ and SKY all bidding for a sport with terrible viewing figures?
What you have to take your hat off to the ERFU is the control they exercise in the media and the City.
What frustrates me is why we do not play to our strengths, a region in which pro RU is all but dead and has a greater population than Wales, Scotland and Ireland combined.
Then you see who runs the sport and you quickly realise why we are where and what we are.