Nottingham Rugby Club are sadly having to go ‘part-time’ from the start of next season after the RFU have halved funding towards the Championship with the coronavirus situation also having a huge negative financial impact on the Lady Bay outfit.
Director Chris Simon stated “from a business perspective we are allowing the fact that we’ll lose some sponsors and allowing for the fact that we’ll retain and perhaps gain some so there are some core things that we would like to carry on all be it through a slightly scaled back way”.
With players now needing to find day jobs along with their first team duties in able to pay the rent Head Coach Neil Fowkes said “my role is to work and help them and find those opportunities but the support from the board has been second to none in trying to change their communication and opening their opportunities to see what the club has got to offer”
The club currently receive around £500,000 a year from the Rugby Football Union but their controversial fund cut will see this reduced next season and by 2022 that will fall to near £250,000 a year a loss of half the clubs income from the sport’s governing body.
Furious Rugby Championship clubs have even considered a breakaway league with the likes of Cornish Pirates and Coventry as well as Nottingham vocal in the RFU’s decision to severely destroy grassroots rugby by taking the much needed funds away from its clubs whilst keeping it in the coffers at Twickenham and for Premiership teams instead.
Green and Whites Chairman Alistair Bow previously stated in February on hearing the decision “The Premiership has had a lot of influence over all the decisions regarding the Championship, certainly for the 10 years I’ve been involved. I do strongly believe the actions the RFU has taken have handed PRL everything on a plate and without having to pay a penny for it. The RFU has handed English professional rugby … everything, to the hands of PRL.”
*Main image @westbridgfdwire Lady Bay will next season play host to part-time players in green & white jerseys.
