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DCMS select committee told: major sports facing £700m loss from pandemic
POSTED 06 May 2020 . BY Tom Walker
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said it would take up to six years 'to get rugby back fully on its feet' Credit: Shutterstock/Mitch Gunn
Leaders of major English sports have told MPs that they are set to lose more than £700m between them over the next 12 months.

Appearing in front of the digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) select committee, chiefs from the English Football League (EFL), the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said the COVID-19 shutdown is having a devastating effect on the finances of elite sport.

Rick Parry, chair of EFL, said clubs in the three divisions of the league were heading towards "a financial hole of £200m by the end of September".

Saying that the EFL would need a "proper reset post-Covid", with clubs currently "stacking up creditors", Parry also said it would be "difficult to answer" how many might go out of business.

Tom Harrison, chief executive of ECB, went even further, saying that the future of cricket "is in danger" and that the sport would require a significant and collaborative effort to protect it.

"In a worst-case scenario for which it is prudent to model, the cost of losing the entire cricket season is more than £380m of lost income," he said.

Meanwhile, RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said it would take up to six years "to get rugby back fully on its feet”.

Sweeney estimated that the RFU has already lost around £15m, which would become £122m if there are no matches at Twickenham – the national stadium which it owns – during 2020.

The DCMS Select Committee also heard from Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of grassroots body Sport England and from Dame Katherine Grainger, chair of high-performance body UK Sport.

Hollingsworth said the £20m Community Emergency Fund – part of a larger £195m funding package to help grassroots organisations through the pandemic – was already oversubscribed.

“We would expect 4,000 applications in a year," he said. "Over the last five weeks, we have had 7,500 applications.

“That tells the story of how clubs are in need of that support.”

Meanwhile, UK Sport's Dame Katherine said the organisation was looking for an “early and exceptional rollover” of money from the government, in order to protect national governing bodies of sport.

She said the rollover would “reassure all Olympic and Paralympic sports that funding is in place”.

The current funding cycle ends in March 2021, but Grainger is looking for a rollover until March 2022 due to the Tokyo Olympic Games being moved from June 2020 to June 2021.

• The DCMS Select Committee session is available to watch in its entirety on the Parliament Live service. To access the footage, click here.
RELATED STORIES
  UK government 'stepping up plans' for the return of sport


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  £195m package announced to help physical activity sector through coronavirus outbreak


A total of £195m of National Lottery funding has been made available to help the sport and physical activity sector through the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis.
  UK's DCMS Committee to hear from charities over impact of COVID-19 outbreak


The UK's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee is expected to meet this week to hear from charities from these sectors over the level of Government support needed to ensure their survival in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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NEWS
DCMS select committee told: major sports facing £700m loss from pandemic
POSTED 06 May 2020 . BY Tom Walker
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said it would take up to six years 'to get rugby back fully on its feet' Credit: Shutterstock/Mitch Gunn
Leaders of major English sports have told MPs that they are set to lose more than £700m between them over the next 12 months.

Appearing in front of the digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) select committee, chiefs from the English Football League (EFL), the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said the COVID-19 shutdown is having a devastating effect on the finances of elite sport.

Rick Parry, chair of EFL, said clubs in the three divisions of the league were heading towards "a financial hole of £200m by the end of September".

Saying that the EFL would need a "proper reset post-Covid", with clubs currently "stacking up creditors", Parry also said it would be "difficult to answer" how many might go out of business.

Tom Harrison, chief executive of ECB, went even further, saying that the future of cricket "is in danger" and that the sport would require a significant and collaborative effort to protect it.

"In a worst-case scenario for which it is prudent to model, the cost of losing the entire cricket season is more than £380m of lost income," he said.

Meanwhile, RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said it would take up to six years "to get rugby back fully on its feet”.

Sweeney estimated that the RFU has already lost around £15m, which would become £122m if there are no matches at Twickenham – the national stadium which it owns – during 2020.

The DCMS Select Committee also heard from Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of grassroots body Sport England and from Dame Katherine Grainger, chair of high-performance body UK Sport.

Hollingsworth said the £20m Community Emergency Fund – part of a larger £195m funding package to help grassroots organisations through the pandemic – was already oversubscribed.

“We would expect 4,000 applications in a year," he said. "Over the last five weeks, we have had 7,500 applications.

“That tells the story of how clubs are in need of that support.”

Meanwhile, UK Sport's Dame Katherine said the organisation was looking for an “early and exceptional rollover” of money from the government, in order to protect national governing bodies of sport.

She said the rollover would “reassure all Olympic and Paralympic sports that funding is in place”.

The current funding cycle ends in March 2021, but Grainger is looking for a rollover until March 2022 due to the Tokyo Olympic Games being moved from June 2020 to June 2021.

• The DCMS Select Committee session is available to watch in its entirety on the Parliament Live service. To access the footage, click here.
RELATED STORIES
UK government 'stepping up plans' for the return of sport


The UK government has begun stepping up its plans for the return of sport, according to culture secretary Oliver Dowden.
£195m package announced to help physical activity sector through coronavirus outbreak


A total of £195m of National Lottery funding has been made available to help the sport and physical activity sector through the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis.
UK's DCMS Committee to hear from charities over impact of COVID-19 outbreak


The UK's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee is expected to meet this week to hear from charities from these sectors over the level of Government support needed to ensure their survival in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
MORE NEWS
Butterfly sanctuary to host hot yoga during retreat at Jersey Zoo for Hotel de France
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
Warner Bros Discovery collaborates on upcoming Pompeii attraction
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while remaining actively involved with the company.
Rainer Maelzer joins Therme Group as chief entertainment officer
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COMPANY PROFILES
TechnoAlpin Indoor

TechnoAlpin is the world leader for snowmaking systems. With the Indoor snow division, TechnoAlpin c [more...]
DJW

David & Lynn Willrich started the Company over thirty years ago, from the Audio Visual Department [more...]
Clip 'n Climb

Clip ‘n Climb currently offers facility owners and investors more than 40 colourful and unique Cha [more...]
ProSlide Technology, Inc.

A former national ski team racer, ProSlide® CEO Rick Hunter’s goal has been to integrate the smoot [more...]
+ More profiles  
FEATURED SUPPLIER

Iconic Liverpool attraction opens door to new operators
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its next phase. [more...]
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  
DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
29 Sep - 02 Oct 2026

Synergy - The Retreat Show

Pical Resort, Valamar Collection, Porec, Croatia
+ More diary  
 


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Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
LEISURE MEDIA MAGAZINES
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LEISURE MEDIA WEBSITES
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