Sarah McGhie’s Post

What do you do with the sheep after you get them over the bridge.

Who will get the Lions' share?... (See also: https://lnkd.in/gFZ32_Tj ) "The British & Irish Lions has today announced details of a new player agreement which will see players selected for the 2025 Tour to Australia benefit from a PROFIT SHARE MODEL for the 1st time. The agreement will see the creation of a new partnership model whereby a PORTION OF THE DISTRIBUTABLE POST-TOUR PROFITS will be made available for sharing between players..." However this PORTION may be much less than 100%. And DISTRIBUTABLE POST-TOUR PROFITS may be much less than Total Profits. And Total Profits may be much less than Total Revenue Generated from the tour. So ideally, to maximize remuneration for their work input, players would negotiate additional payments as proportions (say of total series match minutes played) of Total Revenue Generated from future tours. However, the new current agreement does suggest a significant step improvement in player bargaining power, and move to greater incentivization and potentially performance of Lions players....(Wallabies watch out...) https://lnkd.in/gnvq_4bJ

Yesterday, I had the pleasure in my capacity as DoR at Farnham Rugby Club spend some time with the Director of Rugby from Guildford Rugby Club - Aidan Turns. A great meeting (as all the previous meetings from my local clubs have been) and enlightening on so many fronts!! A couple of headlines... 1. The Reality of Building a Rugby Legacy - Guildford Rugby Club has evolved from humble beginnings in 1922 to a thriving hub for rugby excellence. This growth is a testament to the dedication of players, coaches, volunteers and its community. 2. We discussed the Do’s and Don’ts of Rugby Club development... Don’ts: ❌ Don’t overlook the importance of youth development. ❌ Don’t neglect facility upgrades. ❌ Don’t be afraid to be a leader - deal with all manner of day to day ‘rugby stuff’ that lacks integrity or not within our sports values. Do’s: ✅ Invest in youth rugby (girls & boys) - it's important!!. ✅ Continuously upgrade facilities and look after your finances robustly. ✅ Foster a sense of community - always!! Guildford Rugby Club’s success stems from these core principles and in no small measure I am sure, down to Aidan and his team. Good luck over the forthcoming season (not to much luck - obviously🙏😂😂)!! #RugbySuccess #GuildfordRugby #ClubDevelopment #RugbyLegacy #GuildfordRugby #Commitment

What does a good financial advisor do? They should allow you to spend as much of your precious free time as possible doing the things you cherish in life; taking away the worry and stress of whether you can afford things, or not, through continued close analysis of your investments - all whilst scenario planning your potential cash requirements. A trusted advisor should be there for you to lean into with any financial decision, if you want/need.

As a rugby fan it is pleasing to see that Wasps, London Irish and Worcester are looking to make a return to Championship Rugby, which will no doubt see them push for promotion into the Premiership. I think this has the potential to be big for the finances of top flight rugby, additionsl teams would bring additional matches leading to more money through match day income, TV rights and so on. The finances of top flight rugby have been subject to scrutiny of late and whilst I am sure things are going on behind the scenes in a bid to make clubs more viable there has been limited outward press that could allay concerns of fans. However, a lot is going to depend upon whether the top tier expands back to 12 or more teams to accommodate this or if it remains in its current ten team format with the newly introduced promotion and relegation playoff. Depending upon how this season turns out there is a possibility that the Championship next season contains one current Premiership team and the three phoenix clubs all vying for one promotion spot. This could turn into an arms race and that has the potential to be detrimental to long term prospects of a club if they spend big money in search of the top flight only to fall short. As we have seen multiple times in the football league the consequences of this can result in an insolvency process. Whilst the financial stakes are arguably lower in rugby, as the recent insolvencies have shown these carry a significant impact on not just the club but the wider rugby union ecosphere.

🏉 The Business of Rugby Meets the Ultimate Party Atmosphere! 🏉 Just published on the rugby blog: a deep dive into the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series—a global sports phenomenon that's more than just world-class rugby. 🌍💼 This series has not only captured the hearts of fans with its fast-paced, electrifying matches but has also become a financial powerhouse, generating millions in revenue! With iconic stops in cities like Hong Kong, Cape Town, and formerly Las Vegas, the Sevens Series blends sport, entertainment, and an amazing party vibe. In this post, I explore: 💰 How the series became a lucrative business. 🏟️ The fan-favorite cities that bring rugby and entertainment together. 📊 Record-breaking revenues and the key sponsorships driving the Series' success. Whether you’re a rugby enthusiast or interested in the business of sports, this post has something for you! Check it out and join the conversation: https://lnkd.in/gBD3mnYM #rugbyunion #sports #sportsbiz #7s #marketing #sportsmarketing #blog #content

A very disappointing day for rugby in Australia. It seems history is set to repeat itself with another Australian Super Rugby Team ceasing to exist. It is naive to think reducing the professional contracting opportunities by 20% will increase depth and competition. The NRL and AFL have 17 and 18 teams respectively, Rugby will have 4. Which code do you think juniors will steer towards? A 1/4 chance or a 1/17 or 1/18, less career opportunities will equal less depth as potential players seek certainty and better odds of making it professional. How could a governing body be ignorant to a franchise operating insolvent for multiple years? I question whether this failure of corporate governance raises more concerns for the future of professional rugby in Australia.

We've all been buzzing since winning a Rugby Black List award and feel more than ever that serious discussion and action needs to be taken around this fundamental question: "If rugby in England wants to engage with diverse communities how will this be achieved if diverse communities have no access to rugby?" In highly populated urban areas the required space for schools and clubs to play rugby on doesn't exist in sufficient amounts. Interesting fact - 50% of the total BAME population in England live in 3 cities. London, Birmingham & Manchester. Any thoughts? Also consider that you can't start to fudge the game (which is something the powers that be are currently working on) to create 5 a side touch and call it rugby. The beauty of rugby as we know it is that all shapes and sizes have an equal and important part to play on the pitch. Without this element it simply isn't rugby.

World Rugby to limit influence of lawyers World Rugby plans to overhaul the red card disciplinary system and restrict any advantage enjoyed by richer nations who can employ expensive lawyers. Standard bans of two or four weeks are to be handed down for red cards during a trial in the Under-20 World Championship, WXV and Pacific Nations Cup. World Rugby's plan recognises the difference between a rugby incident (punished by a ban of two weeks) and reckless conduct such as a shoulder charge (four weeks). The governing body expects 70% of all disciplinary cases to trigger one of the two automatic bans, reducing substantially any influence of lawyers on the outcome of disciplinary hearings. World Rugby wants to remove any perception of the disciplinary system being rigged against developing nations.

As we go into the second weekend of a thrilling Six Nations, here’s a really timely story about the unintended benefits of lowering the tackle height (from shoulder height to sternum) in schools and across much of amateur Rugby Union. This was a controversial change. A year ago traditionalists were up in arms. Many feared it would ruin the sport as they knew it. In reality it has proved to do the opposite. While it’s too early to conclusively say that it has lowered the incidence of concussion, the anecdotal evidence is that there has been a significant improvement. And it has had another unintended consequence - because the rule leads to fewer two-on-one tackles, the ball-carrier can often offload the ball to a team mate. So as well as improving safety, rugby is getting faster and more enjoyable to watch, with fewer set-piece interruptions. Those of us in positions of influence in the game should take heart from this example. * Increasing player safety doesn’t have to come at the expense of the sporting spectacle. * Innovation is critical to the future of the sport. See you at Murrayfield. Come on Scotland! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 https://lnkd.in/eeBsRhR2