Fears growing that the Championship might not start until 2021

RFU CEO Bill Sweeney painted a bleak picture in Tuesday for the future of rugby in England and those fears have left some Championship clubs fearing for their future as professional set-ups. Following the UK Government decision to pause the reintroduction of fans back into stadiums, Sweeney said that the RFU expects to see a £122million reduction in revenue in the upcoming autumn international matches.

He also outlined the difficulties that Gallagher Premiership and Greene King IPA Championship clubs will face in England with no crowds for the foreseeable future. He said: “Premiership and Championship Clubs will face significant financial hardship. 

"Our community rugby clubs, many of which run grounds at the heart of their communities, are under threat. Without crowds and league games, community rugby will lose an estimated £86m in revenue this season. 

“From the outset, we have been clear that an autumn without crowds would leave us with little choice but to approach the government for financial help. Unfortunately, we are now in that position. Without support we are in danger of clubs at the heart of communities across England, as well as players and volunteers, disappearing forever.”

With crowds potentially not returning to stadiums until 2021, the new Championship season may wait until then before starting in order to avoid playing in empty stadiums and the financial hit that comes with that. 

Fears are now mounting amongst the rugby public over the future of England’s second division, with many saying this crisis has only exposed how unsustainable the model is. It seems a long time ago that the RFU made the pre-Covid-19 decision to slash the Championship’s funding in February, and those problems have only been compounded in the following months. 

While some clubs will survive in the Championship, some could be thrown into a perilous position, with growing concerns over the future of the professional game in England. 

Coventry Rugby brought this into sharp relief, sharing a statement on Tuesday saying: “It is also essential now that sports clubs and hospitality venues have additional support from the government to help keep our staff employed and minimise the effects of lost revenues which these new regulations will have.”

Statements like this make it increasingly clear why the RFU are seeking help from the government. 

This is an unmitigated disaster. But it is one that has been threatening to happen for years. Rugby in its current form has never been sustainable long term. All we can hope for now is a far reaching plan that preserves our game for the future. Hopefully one built from bottom up!

— Clive Chapman (@Clive_Chap) September 23, 2020

Maybe people will open their eyes that the game has been built on sand. Plastered over by egotistical, delusional, brivardo by the governing bodies. No sustainability in mind. That includes the club owners. The game will survive. But not with the structure we’ve seen.

— ChambersNZ (@AndrewChambers2) September 22, 2020

Think at least Saracens will be able to withstand that, but you have to fear for the other clubs, not really sustainable. Personally I would like to see these games aired on television by maybe channel 5 or itv maybe. Might even prefer to watch some of these games to the prem!

— simongillott (@simongillott) September 22, 2020