Sport: Scottish rugby’s million-pound man
● Scottish Rugby chief executive was paid close to £1m last year, accounts reveal
Scottish Rugby’s chief executive Mark Dodson was paid £933,000 last year, more than double what he received in the previous 12 months.
The figure was revealed in annual accounts which were registered with and published by Companies House yesterday.
The combined total paid to the four executive directors at the SRU – Dodson, chief operating officer Dominic Mckay, financial director Andrew Healy and general counsel Robert Howat – rose from £1.13 million to £2.246m as bonuses were released as part of a “Long-term Incentive Plan” following a record turnover of £61m and now routine sell-out crowds at BT Murrayfield. Companies are required to disclose the earnings of their highest-paid director.
Dodson was paid £455,000 in 2018.
An SRU statement said: “Scottish Rugby can confirm its accounts noted in companies house reflect 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.
“The Directors’ fees and salaries for 2019 also contain bonuses covering the first three years of a five-year plan, 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18 as well as annual bonus awards for 2017/18 and 2018/19.
“Financial turnover grew over that period from £47.4m in 2015/16 to £61.1m in 2018/19.”
The statement added: “The Company’s Remuneration Committee sets the parameters of annual medium and long-term objectives and targets and assesses progress against them, before deciding whether any award should be made under the annual bonus scheme or Long Term Incentive Plan. ”in 2018, Dodson, who is in his ninth year as chief executive since joining from Guardian Media Group, was awarded a contract extension to 2023 at around the time the SRU lost an employment tribunal following the sacking of director of domestic rugby Keith Russell, the father of star Scotland stand-off Finn. The judge was damning in his criticism of Dodson during his ruling.
While commerical progress has been impressive, Scotland failed to progress from the pool stage of the Rugby World Cup last year, losing to Ireland and hosts Japan. Ahead of the latter defeat, Dodson hit out at World Rugby’s lack of a contingency plans as the game in
Yokohama was threatened with cancellation. That led to disciplinary proceedings from the world governing body which ended up costing the SRU £70,000.
As a point of comparison, the Welsh Rugby Union paid its highest earning director £351,000 in total (including bonus and other benefits) last year.
The WRU has a turnover of £90.5m, a surplus of £49.9m and 358 staff.
The highest paid director of the Scottish Football Association, which has a turnover of £37.5m, earned £376,169.
While the bonuses element makes Dodson and his fellow directors’ earnings last year an exceptional one, eyebrows are sure to be raised at the figures at a time when Scotland’s professional teams are struggling to hold on to their top talent in the face of bids from big-spending clubs in England and France.
Key players Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg left Glasgow Warriors to play for Racing 92 and Exeter Chiefs, respectively, and, next season, Jonny Gray will also quit Scotstoun.
Following the announcement that Gray, the Scotland lock forward, would be joining Hogg at Exeter next term, Glasgow coach Dave Rennie said: “Other teams have come in who can give them more than double what we pay them. It’s a chance for these guys to set themselves up for life.”
Meanwhile, Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend will name his Six Nations squad this morning as the national team look to bounce back from World Cup disappointment and a return of one win and a draw in last year’s Six Nations.
The first match for the Scots in this season’s championship is away to Ireland in Dublin on 1 February.