IRFU open to selling shares in provinces

The IRFU is open to the prospect of private investors purchasing stakes in the professional provinces in order to bridge the widening financial gap with cash-rich English and French competitors.

Such a system is already in place in New Zealand, where all five Super Rugby franchises are owned to varying degrees by a combination of private backers, the individual provincial unions, and New Zealand Rugby (NZR).

The process began back in 2011 and was completed with the granting of a five-year licence last year to operate the Highlanders. NZR retains ownership of all the team brands and funds coaching and player contracts from TV and sponsorship revenues.

“Everything is being looked at. Absolutely,” said the Irish union’s Performance Director David Nucifora. “We would consider everything; if we thought that it was workable and achievable to be able to do that.

“There’s a fair few different models that we can look at and see if that would suit Irish rugby. Would that work for us? I don’t think there’s anything that we don’t consider. It’s just a matter of finding what works best here for this system.”

Private investors have already contributed to the Irish professional game in the form of contributions to player contracts and that has helped keep a number of high-profile players in country and under the IRFU’s umbrella and player welfare scheme.

A private stake in one or more of the provinces would be a different ball game and the arrival of someone like Mourad Boudjellal, who has attracted a myriad of world-class talent to Toulon, would clearly alter the delicate ecosystem in place here.

Nucifora said: “If you look at the French and the English systems, with their level of private ownership that’s in there, that becomes quite challenging for the national body to be able to manage their players and manage their player development, and manage the progress of their pathway, because you’re not in control of that.”

“I think I’ve mentioned before, when you sit down around a table and we sit down with our counterparts around the world, a lot of them are envious and jealous of the Irish system. I do believe we’re lucky in that we’ve got one of the strongest systems and most effective systems in world rugby to be able to manage and develop our playing talent.”

Nucifora also confirmed the IRFU remains committed long-term to four professional provinces, saying the national side could not be competitive with anything less.

“From a rugby viewpoint it’s tough competing with four. We need all of those players who are out there and we’ve got to manage it really well.”