If we can't have a crowd we can't have a Championship

Motor industry executive and Ampthill director of rugby Mark Lavery tells NEALE HARVEY why the game is stuck in the slow lane and could face even tougher times ahead as clubs at all levels grapple with the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

- MARK LAVERY

As a businessman with a huge passion for rugby, how hard have the last seven months been?

It’s been difficult nationally and outside of a war there’s not many people alive who’ve faced anything like this. To shut a developed economy down for nine weeks has put a burden on all people in the game – the people administering rugby as much as the playing group. It’s been difficult for players from a mental health perspective because they respond well when everyone’s together and the opportunities to do that have been severely restricted. Then, economically, I don’t think the full problems have really started yet either. That starts when the furlough scheme concludes at the end of October and what the government does by way of subsequent support. There are some real challenges coming over the horizon.

Can you define those challenges?

Rugby’s model before the pandemic was quite difficult when you look at the financial losses of the Premiership clubs. They’re playing without crowds now and looking at next year, dependent on the crowd situation, I think there are some real issues that haven’t been addressed yet. The perception prior to the ‘rule of six’ coming in was that this (Covid-19) had gone and the younger generation in particular don’t appear to be terribly concerned about the spread, but I think it’s a time to be extra vigilant because if crowds don’t come back the game’s in big trouble.

What issues have still to be addressed?