‘You’re on your own,’ Philip Browne warns provinces

The IRFU have warned Ireland’s four provinces they can no longer rely on the governing body to bankroll player wages or to keep them out of financial trouble.

As player salaries continue to rise rapidly throughout the European game, Ireland’s provinces have been told they risk being left behind unless they can get creative financially — or develop their own players to compete with the best English and French money can buy.

Speaking at the IRFU’s annual general meeting in Aviva Stadium yesterday, Chief Executive Philip Browne revealed that each province was given an extra €250,000 each last season to assist with ‘the difficulties experienced by all in the player contracting market’.