Mail - Massie-Taylor Comments (Nowt new)

[Neils]

Premiership Rugby chief Simon Massie-Taylor warns more top-flight clubs could follow Wasps and Worcester into financial oblivion without a 'more sustainable future'

    Massie-Taylor is not anticipating any major short-term problems
    English rugby could adopt a similar approach to French financial system
    Bristol and Exeter Chiefs want the Premiership to be cut from 13 to 10 teams

By Nik Simon for the Daily Mail

Published: 18:52, 14 October 2022 | Updated: 18:52, 14 October 2022


Premiership Rugby chief Simon Massie-Taylor said he cannot be certain that more clubs will not follow Wasps and Worcester into financial oblivion without greater scrutiny of accounts.

While the PRL CEO is not anticipating any major short-term problems, he was unable to offer guarantees about the long-term stability of other clubs.

French clubs are subject to intense accounting scrutiny before the start of the season and English rugby could adopt a similar approach after the recent turmoil.
Premiership Rugby chief Simon Massie-Taylor is not anticipating any short-term problems




Asked if any other clubs could go to the wall, he said: 'We haven't been given any direct red flags from clubs but I'll be really honest and say that until I get complete financial oversight of clubs I can't give you a direct answer on that.'

The sport is undergoing an urgent review, with plans to expand the league to 14 teams now scrapped. Bristol and Exeter Chiefs have publicly stated their desire for the league to be cut from 13 to 10 teams - with Massie-Taylor now supporting plans to trim down the competition.

'Our ambition to move to a 14-team league was short-sighted,' he said. 'We need to look at a lesser number. That is naturally happening at the moment, but exactly what that number is, is TBD.
Good luck to anyone searching Coventry for sympathy about the financial implosion of Wasps, the Premiership rugby side who have been playing in that city for eight years

Wasps are set to enter administration and face suspension from the Gallagher Premiership

'We need to create a more sustainable club ecosystem. We have clubs who want to win European and World Club Cups in the future. We have some teams that are still developing within that system, whether that's within the Premiership or Championship. And then we have the existence of smaller clubs as well who want to play top-flight rugby. Naturally we need to look at the broader club rugby ecosystem and not focus just necessarily on the Premiership.'

Both Worcester and Wasps are desperate to keep hold of their 'P-share' to guarantee central funding, although PRL chairman Martyn Phillips suggested their chances are slim.

'If I was an incoming buyer, I would love to have the P share, for free actually,' said Phillips.


'But if we think about it, those teams are very likely to go into the Championship. If they go into the Championship, but then don't get promoted back to the Premiership, they have to sell that P share. So they could sell that P Share at a sizeable profit. So we could sleep walk into another situation where an owner has acquired something for an amount and sold it for quite a bit more.

'We have to learn our lessons here. It's a fragile economy. If the P share goes out of the Premiership, the distributions go with it, but all the players and particularly the expensive players remain in the Premiership. What we cannot afford to do is to please one individual at the expense of the whole. We have to be strong on this and we will be strong. What if all the other clubs said, 'Well, this looks pretty good. We're going to administration, dump all of our debt but hold on to the P share, and we're all good'. I mean, we can't preside over that.'

[nuneaton wasps]

needs a fresh start, what about 20 teams in the prem with 10 home games and 10 away games bit like 6 nations, 2 teams go down.

[WonkyWasp]

He seems quite heartless and unaware and uncaring of the pain and heartbreak that they have caused.

[BlackCountryWasp]

We and Worcester are now simply collateral damage as far as PRL and the RFU are concerned.

[Neils]

He seems quite heartless and unaware and uncaring of the pain and heartbreak that they have caused.

He is young so forgive him as he does not know what he is doing.


OR - just another useless management tosspot.

[WonkyWasp]

I really like the second description!

[wycombewasp]

Most of the management I've meet in my working life fall into the second category. 

[westwaleswasp]

Anyone who actively wants to be in management isn't normally fit for the job.

As Tolkien almost said, it is the most improper thing to boss others, not one in a million is fit for it, least if all those who seek it.

[Bloke in North Dorset]

Most of the management I've meet in my working life fall into the second category.

Lots of people want the perks without the responsibility, which is why all too often we get told "lessons have been learned, lets move on" and nobody is held directly responsible whenever some bad happens.

[Vespula Vulgaris]

A little research suggests that he is likely to be the second of those options.

Like most of the SBT trolls they aren't half as clever as they think they are.

[hookender]

'But if we think about it, those teams are very likely to go into the Championship. If they go into the Championship, but then don't get promoted back to the Premiership, they have to sell that P share. So they could sell that P Share at a sizeable profit. So we could sleep walk into another situation where an owner has acquired something for an amount and sold it for quite a bit more.

That’s an incorrect statement. Bristol were out of Premiership for a number of years and weren’t made to sell their shares back

[Shugs]

Massie-Taylor speaks a lot but says nothing. He admits he basically has no idea what is going on. A few weeks ago he was relaxed about our situation. One thing I’ve been wrestling with is PRL is basically the teams in it. They vote and decide what is going to happen and so by default decide the shape and future of the game. So what is Massie-Taylor doing? What is the point of him? Other than showcasing a vast array of chunky knitwear on BT of course.