TV rights surrender could be disastrous

THE fact an estimated 54.8 million Japanese people viewed that famous 28-21 victory versus Scotland in the 2019 World Cup showed rugby hardly requires private equity backing.

This message came on a smaller scale with England’s 23-19 win against Wales last week attracting 8.9m viewers.

TRP’s chief writer Nick Cain and former RFU chief executive Francis Baron last month related how the game could be accepting a disastrous private equity hospital pass by surrendering control of TV rights as part of CVC’s £365m five year investment deal with the Six Nations.

Does anyone think CVC will place player welfare or the interests of rugby fans above commercialism?

This firm’s 10-year reign running Formula One described as “the pursuit of profit at every possible level” produced an estimated £3.1b return for the private equity concern.

Even more alarming is World Rugby, seduced by a £1.1b private equity offer, has revived its ill-conceived annual Nations Championship masterplan that would undermine the game’s most successful products, the World Cup and the Lions tour.

Test rugby remains rugby’s gold standard. So why not raise the game’s profile by reviving the traditional rugby tours in a shortened form alongside finally ending the Test match treadmill endured by leading players?

Imagine the interest if the All Blacks toured here playing Exeter, Leicester, Sale and Saracens and a two Test series v England with a major northern football stadiums hosting the first and the tour ending at Twickenham?