Rae: RFU’s funding approach ‘criminal’

By LUKE JARMYN

Alex Rae has labelled the RFU’s funding approach to the Championship as “criminal” after seeing his former club Jersey Reds cease trading.

The Coventry director of rugby is heavily concerned that conversations behind closed doors at Twickenham have revealed that the RFU could be cutting funding to the second tier even further than where it currently stands.

While there’s been hope the re-formatted Premiership Cup, and the new Professional Game Agreement from Summer 2024, could spell a sea-change in financial support for the

Championship, Coventry’s executive chairman Jon Sharp has revealed it could get even worse.

He’s stated, “the risk to our game, our sport, and the best rugby, which is played in the Championship, is very much real”, and highlights how it’s the only sport not to see pre-Covid funding levels return.

Concern: Alex Rae

Rae is worried that current noises from the RFU, and the lack of clarity over funding, is putting off investors that Jersey Reds and others need to survive.

The ex-Saracens and Wasps lock told TRP: “We’re criminally underfunded, credit to the people who run clubs in the Championship, they put a lot of their own money in.

“We’re lucky, we’ve got a great fan base, but we’re not funded properly, the players don’t get the same care the Premiership get.

“There was no Hawkeye at Hartpury last weekend, it’s only in Premiership games. Are these players’ heads any less important than anyone else’s? No. and community.

“We’re not funded properly, but we just get on with things. Our job at Coventry is developing players, we’ll give them one of the best rugby programmes around, and hopefully it gives them more opportunities.

“But the league needs to be funded properly, that would have a knock on effect to the pool of players England can then pick. For me, it’s a no brainer.”

Coventry have beaten Saracens, and drawn with Harlequins, and Rae feels that “actions speak louder than words”.

He added: “I could reel off 30 names in the Championship who wouldn’t look out of place in the Premiership, Pat Pellegrini at the World Cup is one, we’ve got six or seven who would do a job in the Prem. We’re seeing when these so-called second string Premiership teams play Championship sides how this league is seriously underfunded, and under rated, give us another £4m and you’ll have two really competitive leagues producing top English talent.

“It’s a credit to everyone involved in the Championship that it’s competitive, with good coaches, players, physios and analysts, it’s a great breeding ground.

“People at Twickenham need to finally get their heads together, and find the right amount of funding. If they do, you’ll see the game grow from strength to strength.”