England’s players are already the highest paid in Test rugby but are negotiating to have their £15,000 ($21,170) fee per match "hiked up to" £25,000 ($35,284). The Rugby Football Union must sign a new Elite Player Squad agreement with Premiership Rugby before the start of next season and RFU CEO Ian Ritchie "insisted a deal is now close." That expected four-year deal "will cover everything from player release from club duty for Test action to academy set-ups." Ritchie anticipates England Manager Eddie Jones "gaining more access to his players than any previous England coach in the new deal" (SCOTSMAN, 3/23).
EREDIVISIE FINANCES: The Dutch FA (KNVB) on Friday said that 10 of the Netherlands’ 35 professional football clubs are "under special football association supervision because their finances are in such a poor state." Six of the clubs in trouble -- ADO Den Haag, De Graafschaap, NEC, Roda JC, FC Twente and PRC Zwolle -- "play in the Eredivisie." All 10 sides have "three years to get their finances in order or face suspension." Eleven clubs -- Ajax, Almere City FC, SC Cambuur, Excelsior, Feyenoord, Go Ahead Eagles, FC Groningen, sc Heerenveen, FC Oss, PSV and Willem II -- "are considered to be financially the most secure" (DUTCH NEWS, 3/18).
FINANCIAL BRIEFS ...
Shares in bookmaker William Hill tumbled to their "lowest level since the financial crisis after it issued a profit warning on the back of a weaker online performance and unfavourable sporting results." Shares in the company fell more than 13% on Wednesday as it said "it now expected full-year profit" of £260M ($367M)-£280M ($395M), "compared with previous forecasts" of £306M ($432M). William Hill said that "the worst Cheltenham Festival in recent history" had added to the earlier impact of "disappointing European football results, driving online win margins 1.9 percentage points below expectations for the year to date, to 6.2 percent" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 3/23).
Shares in Sports Direct are "falling again" on Wednesday, after the company issued a clarification that its earnings for 12 months to April will "be at the bottom of a previously announced target range." The clarification came after billionaire Founder Mike Ashley said that "the company is in trouble." Sports Direct shares fell as low as 350.8p -- a 7.5% drop on the day -- and "the lowest they have traded since October 2012" (FT, 3/23).
