Statement: RFU defend executives bonus pay-outs after record high losses
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The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has unveiled a staggering operating loss of £37.9m in its latest accounts for the 12 months up to June 2024.
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Twickenham Troubles
With England's men playing just four home matches at Twickenham during that time—and the Rugby World Cup in France disrupting the autumn internationals—the RFU’s revenue streams took a significant hit. The Six Nations offered little respite, with England only hosting two games in the competition.
Meanwhile, the Red Roses played just once at Twickenham, a 88-10 thrashing of Ireland in front of a record-breaking crowd of 48,778 fans.
Bigger Losses, Bigger Problems
Losses in a men's Rugby World Cup year are not unusual for the RFU, but the £37.9m figure dwarfs the £10.8m operating loss in 2019. The previous record, £30.9m in 2018, has also been eclipsed.
Bill Sweeney’s Payday
Amid these financial struggles, RFU Chief Executive Bill Sweeney has walked away with a £1.1m pay package for the year. His £742,000 basic salary was bolstered by a £358,000 bonus under a “long-term incentive plan.”
Defending the Bonus
RFU Board Chair Tom Ilube defended the payout, pointing to sacrifices made during the pandemic:
"During the pandemic, the executive team took deeper and longer salary cuts than the rest of the organisation along with a reduced bonus.
Ilube explained that the incentive plan was designed to address post-Covid challenges and to reward the executive team for hitting key financial and operational targets:
"The targets included revenue growth, cost control and underlying profit. Stretch targets were also in place in relation to other measures including performance and participation."
The Bottom Line: With a record loss on the books and criticism looming, the RFU faces tough questions about its financial management—despite the glowing rewards for its executives.
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England's EIGHT worst players during the Autumn Nations Series
England’s Autumn Nations Series has been one to forget, but at least it ended with a bang as Steve Borthwick's men demolished Eddie Jones' Japan 56-7 at Twickenham's Allianz Stadium.
The nine-try romp may have snapped a painful five-match losing streak, but it wasn't enough to paper over the cracks of a bruising campaign. Close defeats to New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa left fans and pundits unimpressed.
And it seems The Telegraph wasn't holding back, handing out some savage 5/10 ratings to eight players for their efforts across the series. Harsh? You decide.
Fin Baxter
“Could not quite carry over the momentum he established from the New Zealand tour. Possibly suffering from the equivalent of the tricky second album syndrome.”
Theo Dan
“There's a definite spark when he comes off the bench in terms of his ball-carrying but England's set piece does creak with him on the field.”
Dan Cole
“Like a Clint Eastwood Western character keeps postponing retirement for 'one last job'. England's scrum did wobble when he came on, but Borthwick will be desperate for him to stick around.”
George Martin
“Came in this campaign with minimal game time and it showed as he looked to be struggling to last the pace. Uncharacteristically made a few too many missed tackles.”
Nick Isiekwe
“Made very little impression coming on as a replacement aside from one stolen lineout against Japan. A decent performer in the Premiership but England need more dynamism.”
Alex Dombrandt
“Feels a clear area of upgrade for the Six Nations. Made little impression coming off the bench with his static carry and poor ball presentation leading to George Ford's skewed drop goal.”
George Ford
“The missed drop goal was unfortunate and certainly not all his fault so did not deserve to be booed the following week when the crowd thought he was replacing Smith. Will come again.”
Henry Slade
“Some exquisite touches but never truly grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. How many times has that been written of Slade? Also appeared to be involved in several defensive doglegs.”
For the full ratings and context, visit The Telegraph website.
Can you name every England Rugby captain of the professional era?
Whether it’s the grit of Will Carling in the 90s, the tactical brilliance of Martin Johnson, or the fearless leadership of Owen Farrell, this quiz will challenge even the most dedicated fans.
Think you can name them all? Grab your boots and let’s see how well you know the men who led England into battle on the world stage!
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