IRFU entitled to apply for €9m of World Rugby’s Covid-19 relief fund

The IRFU can apply for €9 million, in the form of cash advances and loans, from World Rugby’s Covid-19 relief fund of $100 million (€92 million).

However, the union would need to show they are in severe financial difficulty before securing the full amount available to each country.

“The relief fund will be available for unions requiring immediate emergency funding subject to appropriate criteria being met,” World Rugby stated. “It is designed to assist the maximum number of unions for the maximum amount of time while there is a rugby void.

"For Six Nations and Sanzaar unions, the financial package will potentially involve a combination of advances and loans, while World Rugby is also committed to supporting emerging nations and regional associations where required."

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Philip Browne, the IRFU chief executive, has indicated that Irish rugby needs a road map by September for the return of international rugby. The financial driver of the sport on this island is full houses at the Aviva stadium and following postponement of the Italy match last February, incoming November internationals against Japan, South Africa and Australia are looking increasingly unlikely to happen due to global travel restrictions that will remain in place after the Government's coronavirus lockdown is lifted.

“In tandem with an extensive financial assessment, World Rugby, in full partnership with Six Nations, Sanzaar unions (in consultation with their leagues) and International Rugby Players, continues to progress a variety of return-to-rugby plans, including the delivery of a viable 2020 international competition calendar subject to the relevant government and health authority advice,” the WR statement continued.

“This includes likely short-term reshaping of the international rugby calendar, optimising competition opportunities for unions and domestic leagues.

“As a prudent precaution, further scenario planning factors in a competition environment where cross-hemisphere travel might not be possible and, in the worst-case scenario, where no international rugby is possible this year.

“While initially a response to an unprecedented crisis, the modelling work achieved potentially provides direction for long-term reform of the rugby calendar.”

Both current WR chairman Bill Beaumont and rival candidate Agustín Pichot – the elections are May 12th – are running on manifestos that seek to revive the Nations League idea that the Six Nations unions blocked last year.

The Covid-19 crisis has put the sport’s governing body is a strong position to introduce a new international fixture list whenever widespread air travel is permitted again.

“The measures announced today will provide support and short-term relief,” said Beaumont. “We are committed to exploring calendar options that reflect and address a dynamic, complex and uncertain environment.

“I have chaired many productive meetings in recent weeks with my union, region, competition and player colleagues and we are rapidly moving towards a viable calendar solution and, while compromises are being made, the outcome will be in the best interests of the whole game.

“This is a process with solidarity, unity and leadership at heart – one that sets a potential blueprint for successful collaboration in the future.”

Following news that New Zealand players could lose half their income, if no rugby is played this year, Australia's senior players have agreed 65 per cent reductions in salary over the next six months. Australia captain Michael Hooper earns around €700,000, which is similar to the highest Irish earners who are also taking pay cuts up to 50 per cent.

Pichot has revealed that Argentina will not contest an Australian bid to host the 2027 World Cup, after Rugby Australia seconded his nomination to become WR chairman.

In New Zealand – where a strict lockdown has proved extremely successful in combating the virus – there have been cautious reports, including comments by All Black Sam Cane, of domestic rugby returning in July.

But playing international matches, in any form, brings monumental logistical challenges in 2020.

"Our country, or the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, could aim for elimination of all community transmission of Sars-CoV-2 like New Zealand and like mainland China," explained Prof Sam McConkey, Head of the Department of International Health and Tropical Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. "[If] in six to 10 weeks it would succeed and [after zero cases in the community] all national sports could restart freely more or less as before.

“This strategy requires that all incoming travellers do the 14-day mandatory quarantine and testing. But international matches with players from Sars-CoV-2 infected areas might be hard to organise.”

In theory, Irish rugby could relaunch rugby by reviving the old interprovincial series but this would not include spectators in stadiums for the foreseeable future. For fans to be allowed to attend games, before a vaccine for Covid-19 is discovered, would require, Prof McConkey suggests, an age profile of under 50 years old.

In France, meanwhile, the club presidents have approved provisional plans to finish the 2020 Top 14 season in August. The plan, seen by Midi Olympique, is to play the Top 14 quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals over three weekends with next season pushed back to the second weekend in September.

The Top 14 final would be held behind closed doors at Stade de France. This appeals to club presidents as it allows broadcaster Canal-plus to pay the outstanding €15 million from the TV rights deal.