Could Winning the World Cup Hurt English Rugby?
Professional rugby in England is in ill health. Would a World Cup run fix this?
Jersey Reds have become another name on the growing list of rugby clubs that have recently folded.
Last season’s Championship winners join the losses of Worcester Warriors, Wasps, and London Irish. This leaves the Gallagher Premiership with just 10 teams, and now 11, a step below, in the Championship.
Despite professional sides crumbling around them, England have, so far, had a fairly successful Rugby World Cup. They have qualified for a quarter-final with a match to spare. Sports analysts, Opta, currently have them as the side most likely to reach a semi-final, at 63.49% likelihood. Their next closest rival is Ireland, with a 54.16% chance.
Given their favourable pool draw, it would be ambitious to think that England are among the favourites to claim the title. Despite this, they have done exactly what has been asked of them. They may not have played the flashiest rugby, but it would be wrong to suggest that they are a poor side.
World Cup glory is what every side aspires for. For England, however, could this cause more harm than good? Would immediate success merely paper over the cracks of a crumbling professional game?
The Covid-19 pandemic has left a deep scar on the nation’s rugby landscape. Premiership Rugby clubs still owe around £100m of their pandemic loans from the government. This debt contributed significantly to the fall of Worcester, Wasps, and Irish.
It is a sad truth that professional rugby is not a money-making business in England. Most clubs are haemorrhaging cash, kept afloat only by their billionaire benefactors. Professional rugby in England’s two top flights is unsustainable.
Reports have suggested that Championship clubs, such as Cornish Pirates, are now considering moving to a semi-professional model in the near future as a result of financial pressure.
It has been shown by many sides in the French Top 14 that this does not have to be the case. Clubs play in front of packed crowds, supported by entire communities. The small coastal town of La Rochelle even drew thousands to the streets to celebrate their European Champions Cup victories in 2022 and 2023.
This allows French rugby to operate with far greater financial security than what is seen across the Channel, encouraging many English players to make the move abroad.
Under current regulations, to be eligible for England, players must ply their trade for a Premiership club. Exceptions to this have been granted for those with exceptional circumstances – such as those who have been forced to move following the liquidation of their former employers.
This means that Joe Marchant, Jack Willis, and David Ribbans; all members of England’s World Cup squad, will not be able to represent their nation after the tournament. Players are, essentially, being punished for moving overseas in a search for greater job security.
Bill Sweeney, chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, has faced criticism for his perceived lack of care. Following the collapse of Worcester and Wasps, he was accused at a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee hearing of being “completely asleep on the job” by its chair.
This view that the RFU has not done enough for domestic rugby has been recently echoed by Championship Rugby boss, Simon Halliday. In reaction to the impending liquidation of Jersey, he stated “if the governing body won’t commit to you, why should we?”.
Potential World Cup success could create a genuine risk that the status quo would be maintained going forward. It could create a false guise that the weak clubs have now all been weeded out, leaving the English leagues financially stable. An assumption could be drawn that the issues that face English rugby have simply fixed themselves.
Becoming world champions would have its obvious benefits. A rise in support, viewing figures, and sponsorship value would all help. However, the RFU is already the richest rugby union in the world, so there would need to be a strategy in place to help strengthen the Premiership. These benefits would only help English rugby in any meaningful way if they can be directed towards the club level.
South Africa have been able to strengthen their club level following their World Cup success in 2019. Their club sides made the move from Super Rugby to the now rebranded United Rugby Championship, in 2021.
They joined teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Italy. This has strengthened their domestic game, with the two sides reaching the final in the 2021-22 season, and the Stormers again reaching the final last season.
The ill fate of Jersey Reds is another stark reminder that reform is desperately needed for English professional rugby. The RFU cannot let any World Cup success distract from this, or they would risk seriously damaging the sport long-term. Proper investment in the domestic level would allow English rugby to prosper.
