Worcester Warriors are the first Premiership club to confirm a 25% pay cut, for staff over a certain wage threshold. Following reports in the Daily Mail, Last Word on Rugby now also understands Gloucester has taken cuts for their staff.
Worcester Warriors confirm 25% cut
The Warriors are the first Premiership side to confirm such measures publicly and in a statement said;
“The 25 per cent reduction will not apply to staff below a certain salary threshold to ensure they are protected. We have offered as much support as we can to any member of staff who may suffer particular hardship as a consequence.
“We appreciate this is not an ideal situation for anyone but we hope that with the support of our loyal and dedicated staff in these difficult and challenging times that we can manage our way through this period.”
The Worcester Warriors board are currently working on trying to find any solutions that aid the club’s financial peril, and the same will be across the league with only one club making a true profit; Exeter.
Even the Chiefs won’t be impervious to the crisis with such a slim profit margin at Sandy Park.
Gloucester take the hit during Covid-19 postponement
One source at Gloucester has told Last Word, “clubs’ well-being is the priority.”
Sides will have lost out on millions in the five-week period, if the season does indeed restart at all. Merchandise stalls have been closed, hospitality and ticket sales nullified as well as any bar takings.
You can read an overview into Gallagher Premiership finances here.
The Premiership was suspended for five weeks last Monday and the RFU have today confirmed that the season for all other English rugby has been cancelled. No official news has yet been declared on the relegation and promotion situations spread throughout the national leagues, up to the Championship.
Everyone affected – Premiership players and media suffer pay cuts
The rugby community has been affected, none less than those freelancing within the industry. Our Premiership rugby reporter Robert Rees has seen work cut right back over the lack of sporting action. And as such, in order to keep bringing the content flowing through both social media and online, has asked the following;
Due to work shortages I’ve decided to set this page up. It’ll help to keep my work going in the coming weeks & months.
Any RT’s greatly appreciated, as are support contributions!
It’ll help keep social media active, articles flowing & work coming.https://t.co/q6VqH1zNn3
— Robert Rees (@Rreesrugby) March 18, 2020
Looking at the game, it cannot operate without revenue. Postpone the footy, and the turnstiles run quiet. So calls by clubs for players to take a pay cut seems legitimate. It may cut-across more clubs than the Worcester Warriors. It may affect associated press and staff – hard to predict, in these changing times when schools are closing and social distancing is the ‘new norm’.
Club rugby – for now – may just have to revalue player wages, to suit the ability of clubs to stay solvent [in the meantime].
“Main photo credit”
