Rugby League Told £16m Government Funding Will Be Stopped Unless Questions Answered

The Rugby Football League has been told it will not person nan adjacent instalment of authorities backing owed adjacent period unless it addresses concerns successful Westminster astir nan sport’s governance.

Officials from Sport England are owed to meet nan RFL activity squad of nan interim chair, Nigel Wood, and main executive, Tony Sutton, this week to reside nan issue, pinch nan adjacent costs of a £16m authorities backing package astatine risk.

The Guardian has learned that during preliminary discussions to put nan meeting, nan RFL was informed it will not person adjacent month’s costs without providing satisfactory answers regarding caller changes to its committee to Sport England, which will beryllium represented by its chair, Chris Boardman, and interim main executive, Phil Smith.

Sport England is understood to judge that nan RFL’s determination to instal Wood arsenic interim chair whitethorn person breached nan Code for Sports Governance, arsenic it does not look to person followed an “open and transparent” recruitment process.

Complying pinch nan code, which sets retired minimum standards regarding transparency, diverseness and inclusion, accountability and integrity, is simply a prerequisite for governing bodies seeking authorities and National Lottery funding.

An RFL spokesperson told nan Guardian: “The RFL is moving pinch Sport England connected a governance action plan, pursuing resignations from nan committee earlier successful 2025, which required transitional arrangements.

“We admit nan request for Sport England to reassure themselves that our consequence will stay afloat compliant pinch nan Code for Sports Governance – nan caller RFL committee are wholly committed to this.

“The outstanding activity that is delivered by nan athletics successful hard‑to-reach communities, made imaginable partially by Sport England funding, continues unaffected.”

Government money is captious to rugby league, nan finances of which person been stretched successful caller years by nan effect of nan Covid-19 pandemic and nan illness successful nan worth of its main broadcast woody pinch Sky Sports, which is paying nan Super League clubs astir half what it was 5 years agone to televise their matches.

Salford Red Devils are fighting for their early pursuing a disastrous takeover that has near them pinch conscionable 2 elder players owed to nan repeated precocious costs of wages, which has led to respective Super League fixtures being cancelled.

The RFL receives £16m complete 5 years from authorities successful a woody managed by Sport England, pinch nan money utilized to money nan elite extremity of nan sport, arsenic represented by England’s world teams, and nan improvement of nan grassroots and recreational game.

Hull FC overwhelmed Salford 80-6 past week, which has raised concerns complete nan fielding of younger proceedings players. Photograph: Steve Mower/ProSports/Shutterstock

Sport England’s concerns revolve astir nan processes progressive successful nan return of Wood aft nan resignation of nan erstwhile RFL chair Simon Johnson and 3 different board this year. Wood was antecedently RFL main executive for 11 years and received a £300,000 severance package aft his departure successful 2018, which accounted for almost one-sixth of nan governing body’s losses astatine nan time.

The Code for Sports Governance states nan chairs of governing bodies must beryllium independent, but Wood was chair of nan Championship nine Bradford earlier being appointed. While he has relinquished that Bulls domiciled he remains connected nan club’s board.

Wood initially returned to nan RFL successful March arsenic elder independent head and has since been appointed Chair of Rugby League Commercial, nan assemblage which manages nan sport’s broadcasting and sponsorship sales.

In summation to Wood’s links to Bradford, Sport England is expected to inquire questions astir nan processes progressive successful his appointment, and whether immoderate different imaginable candidates were interviewed. In March RFL sources insisted it would not beryllium a semipermanent arrangement.

Since returning to nan RFL Wood has been instrumental successful driving done an expansion of Super League from 12 to 14 clubs for adjacent season, though Hull FC, Hull KR and Wigan Warriors grounded to endorse nan scheme erstwhile it was voted done by nan different 9 clubs past month. In different twist Bradford are 1 of nan clubs pushing to beryllium promoted from nan Championship to nan expanded Super League, which has raised eyebrows fixed Wood’s erstwhile role.

As nan Guardian revealed past month, Sky Sports has besides yet to endorse nan description and has made it clear it will not supply further backing for nan other clubs to screen nan last play of its three-year TV deal, which expires astatine nan extremity of adjacent season. In addition, it is unclear who will screen nan approximate £500,000 costs of televising an other crippled crossed 27 rounds adjacent season.

Some Championship clubs vying for promotion arsenic portion of description plans person indicated they are consenting to participate Super League without cardinal backing adjacent season, which has raised further concerns astir its competitiveness successful nan ray of nan Salford debacle.

Salford were thrashed 80-6 by Hull FC past week earlier nan fixture connected Sunday against Wakefield was cancelled owed to concerns complete nan information of nan younger players and triallists they were readying to field.

Salford’s owner, Dario Berta, has said nan nine will not spell bust. They are owed successful tribunal adjacent period complete an unpaid taxation measure of almost £700,000.