Is the fatcat who runs Scots rugby really worth £930,000?
Anger as boss DOUBLES pay... despite failures on the pitch
SCottiSh rugby’s chief executive more than doubled his pay last year despite a string of failures on the playing field.
Mark Dodson raked in £933,000 in salary and benefits in 2018-19 according to Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) accounts released yesterday.
the sum is a rise of £478,000 on the previous year and comes despite his side crashing out of the World Cup in the group stages.
his criticism over the way the tournament was handled by organbe ising body World Rugby amid typhoon destruction in Japan also led to the SRU being charged with bringing the game into disrepute in November.
it was ordered to pay World Rugby a cash settlement of £70,000 to resolve the matter.
the news sparked fury among supporters and former players, who claim the game is chronically underfunded in other areas.
there is particular concern that Glasgow Warriors, one of the country’s two professional teams funded by the SRU, have not adequately replaced star players who have left – flyhalf Finn Russell and full-back Stuart hogg.
Former Scotland captain Andy Nicol said he could understand why fans would furious at the timing of Dodson’s salary announcement. he said: ‘Mark Dodson didn’t write his contract.
‘Somebody else did and recommended his pay rise. he is deserving of a bonus. it is the amount that is the contentious issue.
‘one thing that has happened at Murrayfield is over the last 14 games it has sold out. there have been a lot of good things and i suppose the financial situation was always going to be improved once the naming rights of Murrayfield was sold to Bt.
‘What is difficult for people to accept is that when the national team did not qualify for the knock-out stages of the World Cup, we did not have a good Six Nations, the under-20s were relegated and failed to qualify for the under20 World Cup in italy, the women’s team have hardly won a game and Glasgow are losing players and not being replaced like for like, that such a big salary is being paid to Mark Dodson.
‘they would argue some of his bonus money could have been better spent on signing a new Stuart hogg. there is a contract with financial incentives that has been hit but from a performance perspective on the pitch there are targets not being hit.’
the SRU figures show other directors have also been generously rewarded, with the total paid to all company directors jumping from £1.13million to £2.246million.
others on the board are chief operating officer Dominic McKay, finance director Andrew healey and general counsel Robert howat.
A statement from the national governing body said payments reflect the individuals’ contribution to its Long term incentive Plan to deliver on the organisation’s strategic initiatives and targets.
turnover for the year was £61million, up from £57.2million, but profit before tax dropped to £308,000 from £1.8million.
Accounts show SRU took in £15.7million in ticket sales in 2019 and £15.5million in broadcasting revenue as well as another £9.7million in ‘commercial income’.
But the information from Companies house shows it also received £20million in ‘grants and other operating income’.
An SRU statement said: ‘Scottish Rugby can confirm its accounts noted in Companies house show payments made to its most senior director and all directors for the last financial year, which reflect the individuals’ contribution to its Long term incentive Plan to deliver on the organisation’s strategic initiatives and targets.’