THE IRFU will again lose money due to its participation in the RWC in New Zealand but not as much as it did four years ago in France. According to the annual accounts for 2007-08, income from international matches went down €3.8 million due to the absence of the Autumn Internationals. This year that has been reduced to less than €1 million.
“Yes there are financial implications for Irish rugby participating in the Rugby World Cup with the fact that we are surrendering our November games in order to take part,” said IRFU chief executive Philip Browne.
“While that is balanced out by having two home Guinness Summer Series internationals this August, when compared to the three to four games we would usually have, the union would take a significant six figure drop in projected income. The IRB do compensate Irish rugby and the other Unions who are losing out financially, but that does not meet the shortfall.”
This week New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew threatened to boycott the next RWC unless the International Rugby Board (IRB) allowed teams a bigger slice of the pie. He said the All Black brand was not remunerated in an equitable manner for the value it brought to the tournament. A more measured IRFU also believes unions could work to better their financial position in the tournament.
“We believe there is scope to work on the commercial side to allow unions and their sponsors to benefit in some way from future tournaments, but I think Irish rugby also benefits on other levels by taking part in the tournament,” added Browne. “The exposure and national support is something that you cannot put a value on.”
In his tirade Tew also named Ireland as one of the countries that are “queering” the pitch with regard to the prices paid for players. Ignoring New Zealand’s own policy of asset stripping Tonga, Samoa and Fiji of their better players, Tew accused Ireland of paying money far above what New Zealand could afford.
“We are constantly battling to retain our talent in a market where the highest price is paid for the best players and in many cases that involves our guys,” said Tew.
“France are in this, but a country like Ireland is not squeaky clean either. We have seen sides there, in partnership with the IRFU, which is quite galling, paying very significant sums of money for players in this country who have not done much more than play Super Rugby.
“John Afoa, an experienced and established All Black, got a very lucrative contract to play in Ireland (Ulster) and secure his future . . . here is an Irish province, in conjunction with its union, spending what we consider to be over the top for a player and that impacts on the market.”
The IRFU claim they don’t control the market but operate in the one that exists. Afoa will join Ulster after the RWC, while Mat Berquist, who is with Leinster and currently injured, was named as a quality player who had also made the move away.
“All we’re saying is that we are simply operating in an open and free market and where there is free movement of employment,” said an IRFU official. “Players are being offered to clubs around Europe and we employ some of them here in Ireland. We can not change the way an open, free market of employment works. We do not go head hunting players.
“We are approached by agents who make them available. The market dictates these things in Europe as well as in Ireland. We can only work by what the parameters of an open market in employment are at any given time.”
