As athletes, rugby union players are notoriously robust. But in England, the finances behind the sport are looking far from healthy. In the space of a few weeks, two of its most famous club teams, Worcester (founded 1871) and Wasps (1866), have gone into administration.
Bill Sweeney, chief-executive of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) which governs the English game, said the financial model of the sport is “broken”. He added: “Two professional clubs facing financial difficulties is a clear barometer of the challenges being felt by the economy, sport and rugby union specifically.”
