TIM HAMPER,
Madam, - As an Englishman (and former junior rugby club chairman) living in Ireland, I am astonished at the current plight of the Connacht provincial team.
Ireland is home to true innovators in business administration and "back office" activities (from web-based volume ticket sales to centralised financial support services). The IRFU proposal to save money by disbanding the Connacht playing team before any attempt at reducing Irish rugby's total administration, committee and "back office" staff is therefore doubly wrong. Rugby should be about players (on the pitch) first, and spectators second; administrators and committee men should be a distant third.
I, and many other people in Irish business, would be delighted to assist the IRFU in considering numerous ways of reducing expenditure, thereby releasing money to pay Connacht's actual players).
These would include: one central finance and administration function contracted out to the provinces; one web-based ticket marketing and distribution operation for all of Irish rugby; one travel office; and a single (outsourced) IT and phone network. Numerous other activities - such as professional marketing of a bigger provincial fixture list, formal coaching structures with schools and junior clubs, and an aggressive rebuilding of major stadiums should follow.
Think again, IRFU. Professional sport needs low-cost professional services, and Ireland is well-endowed with these. - Yours, etc.,
TIM HAMPER,
Lower Leeson Street,
Dublin 2.
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Madam, - The IRFU govern the one sport that sends out a truly united Irish team to represent this country. They should think about that. - Yours, etc.,
SHANE FORSYTHE,
Annamoe,
Co.Wicklow