In my career, both in sport and business, I have worked with a variety of people who are at the very top of their field.
Those heavy-hitters have played central roles in the success of their businesses. They have shaped industries, navigated incredibly tough periods, and driven unprecedented growth when times were good. Financially, they been rewarded with large – and in some cases huge – salaries as a result. I have no problem with that.
If the work you do takes your company to the next level and enables success, you deserve to be rewarded.
But what I find totally unacceptable is when business leaders take home fat pay cheques at a time when the company they work for is underperforming. This brings me to RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw media headlines he has been paid a total of £1.1million for the last financial year. I repeat, I would have no issue with Sweeney taking home such a sum if the RFU was performing to the best of its ability on and off the field.
But, simply put, it is not. And that makes Sweeney’s salary incredibly difficult to understand.
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney was paid an astonishing £1.1million for the last financial year
English rugby’s governing body announced an operating deficit of £37.9million this week
I am sure I am not the only one who thinks it is an insult to the wider English rugby public at a time when our great game continues to struggle with monetary issues.
The RFU’s annual report, which details the governing body’s accounts for the last financial year, showed Sweeney was paid a basic salary and bonus of £742,000. In addition, he also received a separate payment of £358,000 as part of a ‘long-term incentive plan’.
Mail Sport columnist Sir Clive Woodward
The RFU said this additional sum was agreed by the board because the organisation’s leading figures took pay cuts during Covid and have since hit a series of performance targets. This is where my mind boggles. What targets exactly has the RFU executive hit?
On the field, England’s senior men’s team won just five of 12 games in the calendar year of 2024, so it’s clear that on the rugby side of things, performance is not what it should be.
It is important to note the England Under 20s won the Junior World Cup this year and the women’s team is ranked world No 1 as they approach a home World Cup in 2025.These are important successes. But I would be interested to know how England’s women’s players feel about Sweeney’s take home after a long fight for full-time contracts.
In the boardroom, at the same time as Sweeney’s eye-watering salary was revealed, the RFU announced an operating loss of £37.9m. That is an astonishing number.
The RFU has been quick to say they expected to make a loss for the past year as it’s something that routinely happens in World Cup years. They insist their finances are overall in good health. I understand that World Cup years mean fewer games at Twickenham and there is more expense in having the team in camp for longer.
But again, I would question why in World Cup years – when more attention and eyeballs are on the sport – are the RFU not making the most of that opportunity? Why are we happy to accept that every four years, English rugby will make such losses? Let’s not forget the RFU failed for the first time ever to sell the broadcast rights for their game in Japan last summer.
Personally, I am stunned that Sweeney, pictured with Jason Robinson (left), accepted this sum
Steve Borthwick’s England have had a difficult autumn and disappointing year on the pitch
The RFU and Sweeney will no doubt point to the £100m stadium naming rights deal with Allianz as a reason for celebration. But we were told much of that money was destined for grassroots rugby.
It is a truly terrible look for English rugby and entirely tone deaf that Sweeney is taking home that sort of money when the game has not only lost nearly £40m, but also made 40 people at Twickenham redundant. The wider context of English rugby is also highly significant here.
There remain huge issues for the game to sort. The 10 Premiership clubs continue to battle financial problems. Let’s not forget Sweeney was the man at the RFU wheel when three teams in Worcester, Wasps, and London Irish went bust.
A penny for the thoughts of the players, coaches, and staff at those clubs when they learned of Sweeney’s latest take home. Sweeney has been allowed to recoup the salary cut he took from Covid, but the game has clearly not yet recovered.
I am astonished Sweeney has accepted this sum given the current state of the game in England. This was a time to reject bonuses and double down on getting English rugby back on track, at least out of respect for those who have suffered because of the hardships rugby is currently enduring.
There will be a time for rewards to be handed out. Now is not that time.
