The RFU announced there was a £900,000 overspend on the national team in '17-18.GETTY IMAGES
Eddie Jones was ordered to "moderate his spending" in the build-up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup after the Rugby Football Union announced losses of £30.9M ($39.3M), according to John Westerby of the LONDON TIMES. Jones "safeguarded his job" as England's head coach with three wins in four autumn internationals but the RFU put "strict" measures on his budget after a £900,000 ($1.15M) overspend on the national team. The governing body's losses for '17-18 were offset by a "one-off cash windfall" of £31.6M ($40.2M) but the union is "braced for a harsh economic future," which is expected to lead to a £13M ($16.6M) reduction in overall investment. RFU CEO Steve Brown said, "It is true that the England budget in the previous financial year was overspent. ... It did happen in the previous financial year, but we have got control of it and everyone is clear about that from Eddie and his team downwards. We have been very clear there is a strict budget to the World Cup that is more than sufficient for us to deliver a successful outcome" (LONDON TIMES, 11/27).
