Rugby Football Union CEO Steve Brown defended the "swingeing cuts" that led to 60 members of staff being made redundant -- but warned that the sport "faced further savings" of up to £20M ($26M) in the next four years, according to Gavin Mairs of the London TELEGRAPH. Brown claimed that financial forecasts left him with no choice but to act "no matter how hard it would be." Brown also admitted:
- RFU revenue is "expected to fall" by £60M ($77.8M) over the four-year World Cup cycle.
- England Manager Eddie Jones will "not be allowed to overspend on a ring-fenced budget for the World Cup in Japan."
- Twickenham naming rights will not be sold after the RFU signed a "seven-figure" stadium deal with British Airways.
- The artificial-grass pitches program, a "key legacy investment" from the World Cup, will be stopped for at least a year.
Reflecting on a "turbulent first year" as CEO, Brown said that if spending and staffing levels had been left unchecked, then it could have resulted in an "Armageddon situation" which would have led to a "drastic drop in investment and painful cuts" to the grassroots game within two years. It is understood the RFU is also budgeting for a loss in excess of £10M ($13M) in its business plan for '19-20 because of the costs associated with the World Cup in Japan and the absence of autumn tests at Twickenham (TELEGRAPH, 10/1).
