Poor Challenge Cup final turnout blamed as RFL post loss of £327,000

[josie andrews]

The Rugby Football League made a loss of £327,000 in 2018, which it says was largely due to the low crowd for the Challenge Cup final.

The governing body had anticipated returning to profit after posting a £2million loss in 2017 when it paid out a significant six-figure sum to facilitate the exit of chief executive Nigel Wood and chief commercial officer Roger Draper.

Those hopes were scuppered when Catalans Dragons reached Wembley and took around 5,000 fans with them, resulting in an attendance of 50,672, the lowest for a generation.

The latest financial results were delivered to clubs at the annual meeting in Doncaster, where they were told an adopted budget for 2019 is expected to generate a profit of £207,000 to increase cash and reserves, ahead of further projected profits in 2020 and 2021.

Meanwhile, clubs are still waiting to discover if Ottawa will enter League 1 in 2020.

It is more than three months since Canadian Eric Perez, the founder of Toronto Wolfpack, was given permission to re-locate Hemel to the Canadian capital and two months since he got the all-clear to enter next season's competition.

Discussions are well advanced with Ottawa,' RFL's interim chairman Simon Johnson said. 'We've got a board meeting towards the end of August when it's on the agenda again.

'So I would expect if there is an announcement to come, it will come shortly after that.'

Perez says no decision has yet been made and his consortium have a contractual issue to resolve before being in a position to make an announcement.

The RFL has also approved an application from New York to join League 1 but has told them they must wait until 2021.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby ... 7-000.html

[ian.birchall]

The Rugby Football League made a loss of £327,000 in 2018, which it says was largely due to the low crowd for the Challenge Cup final.

The governing body had anticipated returning to profit after posting a £2million loss in 2017 when it paid out a significant six-figure sum to facilitate the exit of chief executive Nigel Wood and chief commercial officer Roger Draper.

Those hopes were scuppered when Catalans Dragons reached Wembley and took around 5,000 fans with them, resulting in an attendance of 50,672, the lowest for a generation.

The latest financial results were delivered to clubs at the annual meeting in Doncaster, where they were told an adopted budget for 2019 is expected to generate a profit of £207,000 to increase cash and reserves, ahead of further projected profits in 2020 and 2021.

Meanwhile, clubs are still waiting to discover if Ottawa will enter League 1 in 2020.

It is more than three months since Canadian Eric Perez, the founder of Toronto Wolfpack, was given permission to re-locate Hemel to the Canadian capital and two months since he got the all-clear to enter next season's competition.

Discussions are well advanced with Ottawa,' RFL's interim chairman Simon Johnson said. 'We've got a board meeting towards the end of August when it's on the agenda again.

'So I would expect if there is an announcement to come, it will come shortly after that.'

Perez says no decision has yet been made and his consortium have a contractual issue to resolve before being in a position to make an announcement.

The RFL has also approved an application from New York to join League 1 but has told them they must wait until 2021.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugby ... 7-000.html

I saw that Josie but what really frightened/appalled me that this was a large reduction on the £2 million pound loss the year before when the RFL paid a SIGNIFICANT! six figure sum to facilitate the exit of fat controller Nigel Wood and Chief Commercial Officer Roger Draper.
I was never a one for giving out ostentatious titles as I always worked on the presumption that this would result in large poyouts on sacking. I called that Birchalls Law.

[Wiganer Ted]

The RFL have contributed to this themselves.
They insisted on having the C Cup final on August Bank Holiday weekend when the West Coast Mail Rail Line was shut for maintenance.
It's now convenient to blame someone else for their own incompetence and their total lack of marketing the final.
There should be a better crowd this time with Saints playing either Wire or Hull.
We shall see.

[BriH]

The RFL have contributed to this themselves.
They insisted on having the C Cup final on August Bank Holiday weekend when the West Coast Mail Rail Line was shut for maintenance.
It's now convenient to blame someone else for their own incompetence and their total lack of marketing the final.
There should be a better crowd this time with Saints playing either Wire or Hull.
We shall see.

Agree

[OAMJSONA]

it should be moved up North , there isnt the appeal anymore to go to Wembley its run its course

[thegimble]

it should be moved up North , there isnt the appeal anymore to go to Wembley its run its course

I agree.

Have the final at Anfield 60k is par for the attendance. If you discount the club Wembley seats. Also looking like Liverpool will expand the stadium in due course. Trains are way over priced give most of the fans will come from the North.

Tradition is good to look back on but its an albatross around the game.

PS I also hate London so the better I feel if I do not have to go there.

[Caboosegg]

Woods needed sacking and they didn't even really remove him he's know the ceo of the RFIL, corrupt as hell and for the future of our sport i really hope the superleague split works.

He also resigned.... not sacked resigned.
Claims he love rugby league stepped down then still took money that could have been used for grass routes.

He will be on Boris's Cabinet soon with skills like that.