IRFU outlines TV nightmare

IF there is such a thing as a rugby apocalypse, then Philip Browne painted a pretty convincing picture of it yesterday as opposition to Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan’s free-to-air TV proposals took on an international dimension.

The IRFU chief executive was joined in Dublin by John Feehan, his counterpart with the Six Nations, and Derek McGrath who holds the same post with the Heineken and Amlin Cup organisers, the ERC.

Along with representatives of all four Irish provinces, the three chief executives had convened in the ERC HQ earlier to coordinate their riposte to a proposal which they claim will have a disastrous effect on Irish – and European – rugby.

Ryan’s ambition that Six Nations and Heineken Cup matches can only be watched on free-to-air TV was described by Browne at various stages as “seriously misguided”, “absolutely cracked” and “nonsense”.

It was, he said, the most serious threat to Irish rugby since the game went professional in 1995.

If implemented, Ryan’s proposal would siphon away 18%, or €12m, of the IRFU’s annual income which would in turn lead to cutbacks in all areas and prompt top players to move abroad in pursuit of higher salaries.

Browne warned that it would take very little, perhaps as little as the loss of Ireland’s top 10 players, for everything to unravel to the extent there would be an almost inevitable reduction in the amount of professional Irish sides.

Visions of mediocre Irish sides playing in a half-empty Aviva Stadium, Thomond Park or RDS were conjured up for a future in which the ramifications of Ryan’s input would reverberate down to all levels of the game in this country.

The union’s annual €10m budget for the club and schools games would have to be slashed, Browne said, while the wider impact would be a sharp drop in what was described as the €375m “rugby economy” in Ireland.

“The Minister has a hunch,” Browne went on. “He would say it’s a well-informed hunch, but I call it a hunch, that he is better informed about how the game operates and is grown than the collective here, the people who have been running professional rugby in Ireland for 15 years.

“The Minister’s view is going to lead to a spiral of decline in Irish rugby and has the potential to destabilise European rugby. That is the unintended consequence of his well-meaning, well-intended policy... he’s gambling with the future of Irish rugby.”

Ryan responded to fears over a resultant shortfall in income by suggesting the IRFU could make up for any losses with extra sponsorship but, as Browne pointed out, that would be wishful thinking, even in a economy that wasn’t gripped by recession. The feeling that this has dropped on the union’s desk at the worst time is compounded by the fact their debt repayments for Aviva Stadium are predicated on the current business model and income. Not that money is the only concern.

The IRFU is an all-island organisation and any decision made on TV rights in Dublin would affect the ability of the union to run the professional game in Ulster which operates under a different political system.

Feehan and McGrath’s presence at yesterday’s press conference were indicative of the concern felt by the wider European rugby community.

Ireland gets more out of the Six Nations and the Heineken Cup (€16m) than it puts back in (€4m) but Feehan has warned that all that could change.

“We would always prefer to be on terrestrial television but we have a serious issue with being told we have to only be on terrestrial television,” said the Six Nations official. “The games are going to be on RTÉ for the next three years anyway. The reality is that if this goes through it will have the effect of upsetting the delicate balance we have with the other unions and they will review what Ireland should get out of this.

“Ultimately it might be ‘you’re on your own guys, get what you can out of your own market’. There would be a net decrease from my organisation of around €9m per year.”

Feehan warned that the other five unions – England, Scotland, Wales, France and Italy – would take “an extremely dim view” were Ireland to upset what McGrath called “a partnership of mutual benefits”.

Browne, Feehan and McGrath all met with Minister Ryan last week but left the meeting “very concerned that he just doesn’t get it,” according to the ERC representative. Written submissions have also fallen on deaf ears.

Ryan has extended the consultation period over his proposal which will come to an end in July. After that, if given the green light by cabinet, it will go to Europe to become law.

Anxious times await.