Connacht could face IRFU axe

IRFU finances: The Connacht provincial set-up faces a renewed threat of disbandment after it emerged that the IRFU faces losses of €4 million this year and €6.9 million next year. As a result, the union's 22-man committee is looking at ways of reducing their ever-increasing annual costs - one of which is to go down the route of only having three provinces instead of four.

Mindful of how this was also on the agenda two years ago, Connacht officials are fearful that it is again the favoured option of leading IRFU officials after it was suddenly brought up for discussion at a union workshop last week. Two years ago when the issue last arose, a compromise was reached whereby Connacht became less expensive to run.

The IRFU also has other options. It could seek to reduce the costs of each of the four provinces - by up to 40 per cent - and can look at other ways of reducing the annual outlay for running the professional game, which is expected to reach about €19 million this year.

In any event, Connacht are mobilising their forces in advance of what could be a struggle for their very survival as a professional entity. The branch officers met last night and a full meeting of the Connacht branch is expected to take place sooner rather than later.

IRFU chief executive Philip Browne has confirmed that a union delegation will travel to Galway this week for "a meeting with Connacht Branch officials and we are seeking to have meetings with the other three provinces". This alone will be enough to unnerve Connacht.

According to Browne, the union's projected losses can be partly attributed to the downturn in the economy. Furthermore, the cost of competing in next year's World Cup will be compounded by the loss of the lucrative autumn internationals due to the October timing of the finals in Australia. Browne describes the loss of revenue as "a double whammy".

"In the light of all this we have to review everything, the professional game, the domestic amateur game, and our general overheads. We can't just go on incurring deficits. That would be a rocky furrow to plough. There's an issue there that has to be addressed and if we didn't address it we wouldn't be doing our jobs."

It is also clear that a major bugbear for the IRFU in the harsher economic climate is how many of the professional, home-based player pool of 120, spread across the four provinces, are overseas imports - or, as Browne put it, "30 of the contracted players learnt their rugby outside Ireland".

"One of the major issues we have to face is the number of professional players that, one, we can afford to pay, and, secondly, the number that we have in the country."

Citing the example of Wales, who Browne stated are seeking to reduce their professional club base "from nine to four or five", the IRFU chief executive added: "We are not producing a sufficient number of players to maintain a cadre of 120."

Though Browne maintained that the majority of the 22-man committee (only three of whom come from the western province) would like to keep Connacht in existence, the option of cutting the budgets of all four provinces would arguably be more unappealing to the committee.

Qualifying this option, Browne said: "How would that impact upon their ability to compete in the ERC (European Cup) and in turn how would that impact upon the international team, which is the major breadwinner for Irish rugby?"

Ironically, Connacht's results at schools and under-21 level have never been better, while they have never been more productive in producing their own indigenous player pool. Indeed, they are probably as reliant on Irish-produced players as, say, Ulster are.

In the event, the decision will be made by the 22-man committee, at either one of its nine or 10 meetings per year, or at a specially convened committee meeting - most probably in the New Year - though Browne maintains that it will only be decided upon after a lengthy process of discussions. "The first part of the exercise is to get everyone informed," he said.