European Club Rugby
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Another interesting take from a consistently sensible YouTuber who's passionate about Welsh rugby
2+1 model allying with the English game.
2 teams into the Premiership, 1 in the Championship as a development team
Would mean saying bye bye to URC, which could be tough legally
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@MiketheSnow Welsh club teams in the English league system would mirror what seems to be successful and popular in soccer. Long-term that's the best financial bet, but as you suggest it might be legally tough to get there.
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@sparky said in European Club Rugby:
@MiketheSnow Welsh club teams in the English league system would mirror what seems to be successful and popular in soccer. Long-term that's the best financial bet, but as you suggest it might be legally tough to get there.
And presumably if that did come to pass, Welsh qualified players playing in the English league for an English club would be eligible to play for Wales regardless of how many caps they have
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The annual budgets for the French Top 14 teams which are all up, some significantly so.
With their ticket sales, gate receipts, TV viewership, TV income, sponsorship and prize money all up, it's no surprise to see the top French clubs get wealthier and wealthier
Less financially fortunate unions and clubs can currently only look on with envy with what's going on in France and the huge financial growth of the game there.
With all that money will come power. The power to sign more of the world's best players and coaches. The power to develop their academies and grassroots so they can produce more and more world-class players.
If you follow the money, sooner or later the future of the game will be French.
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Decided to have a look at exactly where French rugby clubs get their money.
The LNR (T14 and PD2 – 30 clubs) is the vehicle of the FFR to administer the pro clubs.
The FFR itself is not in great financial shape; having made a mess of the 2023 WC and lost tens of millions (WR did ok tho).% average of LNR club revenues
“Partnerships” 44%
Seems to be very grey, but it is huge; sponsorships and benefactors.
Larger than the match day and TV revenue combined; and those revenue streams are large compared to other domestic comps!
Be nice to know the proportions between benefactors and sponsors.
Sometimes benefactor can be sponsor; and a benefactor takes out a lot of losses.
Be hard for any other domestic rugby comp to replicate this part of the business model, and it’s the biggest part.LNR 20%
- TV; new deal €130m per year from 2027 to 2032. No other domestic rugby comp comes remotely close to this deal (except the NRL—new deal soon).
- Euro competitions; European comps are a loss for clubs (except if you win it). Most clubs look at it as a marketing expense. It’s compensation type revenue. No money here.
- French national team players club indemnity; this is the FFR/LNR national team deal and seems to make national/club relationship reasonably seamless (at least for French players). A bit of an incentive for clubs to have players selected for the national team. Possibly why the French national squad is large.
Match day 15%
Other 21%―merchandise, transfer fees etc.
A comparison with the Brisbane Broncos, an NRL financial powerhouse ($81.5m revenue 2024):
Matchday 35%
NRL 24%
Sponsorship 19%
Reverse model to T14; matchday and TV revenue three times “partnerships.”Off topic
Incredible to me, but apparently the French national rugby football team significantly outrates the audience for the 2 time world champion French national soccer football team! -
Jordan Petaia has signed with French Top 14 club Perpignan.
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@MiketheSnow said in European Club Rugby:
The WRU are prepared to sacrifice two men's teams to pay for two women's teams
How is that financially viable?
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@antipodean said in European Club Rugby:
@MiketheSnow said in European Club Rugby:
The WRU are prepared to sacrifice two men's teams to pay for two women's teams
How is that financially viable?
Christ knows
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@MiketheSnow said in European Club Rugby:
@antipodean said in European Club Rugby:
@MiketheSnow said in European Club Rugby:
The WRU are prepared to sacrifice two men's teams to pay for two women's teams
How is that financially viable?
Christ knows
I suspect, at best the decision makers have ignored the economics to be seen to be equitable. The alternative is that somehow the professional male teams need to raise enough money to cover the female teams too.
And it's not like rugby generally has truckloads of cash to be subsidising these ventures. Most unions are treading water.
