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Leagues and Governing Bodies

Newport Rugby Benefactor Tony Brown Backs Welsh Rugby Union Takeover

Tony Brown, the man whose millions "helped transform" Welsh Rugby Union club Newport, "revealed the scale of his financial investment" in rugby at Rodney Parade -- and his "firm opinion" that the proposed WRU takeover is the "best option," according to Delme Parfitt of WALES ONLINE. Brown "urged shareholders to rubber-stamp the deal on offer from the union." He penned a letter to them "expressing his viewpoint," and also stressed that he believes the WRU is acting with the "best of intentions." An extraordinary general meeting was called for May 9, in which 75% of votes cast are required to "give the green light to the deal with the governing body." Brown said, "My initial investment in the club amounted to about £4 million ($5M), which I turned into shares or wrote off when I left the board. I subsequently returned when the club was going through a difficult financial time and together with Martyn Hazell put in a further £5.5 million ($6.9M) to keep the Newport Gwent Dragons and Newport afloat. Despite being a majority shareholder, I shaped the articles of the company in such a way that a decision of this significance sat with the shareholders." Brown insisted that the WRU proposal is a "result of years of exploring alternative avenues to make the business model at Rodney Parade more sustainable." Brown: "We have not reached this conclusion by chance" (WALES ONLINE, 4/13).

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