Leading sports in Wales given funding package
WALES’ main spectator sports have been given a £17.7million funding package by the Welsh Government to help them through the coronavirus pandemic.
The support is allocated to the sports’ national governing bodies and Welsh rugby will receive the bulk of the money with a £13.5m grant.
The rest is divided between football (£1.5m), horseracing (£1.2m), cricket (£1m), ice hockey (£200,000), rugby league (£200,000) and netball (£100,000).
Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, deputy minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, said: “Sport is important for our economy and for our mental and physical wellbeing.
“It will play a vital role in our recovery and healing after the pandemic and help us to develop a healthier and resilient nation as well as providing hope and inspiration from Welsh sporting success at home and abroad.
“While restrictions on supporters at events have been vital in stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives, there can be no doubt they have created real hardships for many sports clubs, many of whom receive a significant proportion of their income through spectator attendance.
“I know this money will provide some stability to those sports worst affected by the loss of revenue during the pandemic, helping to bridge the financial gap until spectators are able to return safely.” Some £22m worth of funding had already been made available via Sport Wales, primarily below top-tier sport, and Wales’ main professional sporting organisations had called for more Welsh government support at the elite level.
Wales’ 2021 Six Nations home matches against Ireland and England are set to be played behind closed doors and rugby’s grant will be split equally between the WRU and the four professional regions, the Scarlets, Ospreys, Cardiff Blues and Dragons.
Welsh rugby chief executive Steve Phillips said: “On behalf of the professional game in Wales I would like to thank Welsh Government for this award from the Spectator
Sports Survival Fund.
“During an incredibly challenging time we have found both Welsh Government and Sport Wales accessible, responsive and sympathetic to the plight of our game in Wales.
“We always anticipated there would be challenges with spectator attendance at the recent Autumn Nations Cup.
“However, with the ongoing nature of the pandemic, no one is able to predict with any certainty when crowds will be allowed back into stadia, allowing our income streams to return to normal.
“As such this £13.5m grant is timely and hugely helpful.”
The Wales football team’s autumn home matches were played with no crowds, with that financial hit on the back of Euro 2020 being postponed because of the pandemic.
Football Association of Wales chief executive Jonathan Ford said: “Not having crowds at international matches has greatly impacted the FAW’s finances and this funding will go some way to offset some of this lost revenue. Times, however, remain perilous as we are still going to make quite a significant loss this year as a result of Covid-19.
“We long for the day our fans can return to supporting our national teams in our stadiums.”