A £16 MILLION government bailout to The Rugby Football League has saved a sport “on the brink”, a Labour MP has said.
The RFL have been locked in crisis talks with the government as league chiefs sought support to cover some of the losses the sport will take during the pandemic.
Super League and the Rugby Football League seasons have been suspended since March due to the government’s social distancing measures, which has meant clubs have taken a huge financial hit from lost match-day income.
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Today, the government announced it will provide an emergency loan, saying it intervened to “protect an entire sport and the community it supports”.
The announcement comes just days after Marie Rimmer, Labour MP for St Helens South and Whiston, sought assurances from the government that it would take action to save the sport.
Following the announcement, Ms Rimmer said: “Rugby league was on the brink.
“Securing this money was about saving the professional sport of rugby league. Without it, many clubs would not have been around to carry on the season when it restarts.
“Rugby league is part of the culture and heritage of our town, and there are many other towns and cities like ours that love the sport.
“Over the past few weeks the RFL and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Rugby League in Westminster have been leading the talks with the government to get the money that the sport needs.
“The RFL and the APPG deserve huge credit and I thank the government for listening.
“Next year we are hosting the Rugby League World Cup, and I look forward to welcoming teams to play in the town.
“Right now, efforts are rightly being focused on getting the country through the coronavirus crisis.
“This money ensures that a big part of our culture will still be around when it is all over.”
The RFL will administer the funding, in partnership with Sport England and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
All RFL Super League, Championship and League 1 clubs based in England are eligible to apply.
Further details on when the fund will open and how clubs can apply will be announced by the RFL in due course
Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “This is a massive shot in the arm to secure the survival of Rugby League.
“We recognise that many RFL clubs operate on very tight financial margins. Without their ability to stage matches with spectators and despite the Government’s extensive economic package, the professional game has come very close to collapsing.
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From my first sports visit as Secretary of State to Leigh Centurions, I could see how important these clubs are to the communities they serve. They are the beating heart of their towns and cities, and their impact goes far beyond what happens on the pitch.
“Sports across the board are facing unprecedented pressures, and we are supporting them through wider government measures.
“In this case we are intervening as an exception, not to save an individual business or organisation, but to protect an entire sport, the community it supports, the World Cup held here next year and its legacy for generations to come.”
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