- RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney was paid £1.1m for the last financial year
- The RFU look set to record losses of almost £40million for 2024
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney was paid an eye-watering total of £1.1million for the last financial year, despite English rugby’s governing body looking set to record losses of close to £40m for 2024, MailSport can reveal.
The RFU is set to publish its annual end-of-year accounts, which form part of its annual report this month following the end of the national men’s side’s autumn campaign.
It is expected that the numbers will show a loss which is understood to be one of the largest suffered by an English sporting governing body.
However, despite that, it is understood that the RFU accounts will also detail a significant pay rise for Sweeney at a time when he is under significant pressure following a November series which saw head coach Steve Borthwick’s team beat only minnows Japan.
Documents seen by MailSport, which cover the 12 months to June this year, show that Sweeney was paid a basic salary and bonus of £742,000.
In addition, Sweeney received a payment of £358,000 for what is described in the accounts as a ‘long-term incentive plan.’
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney was paid £1.1million for the last financial year
Sweeney is under significant pressure after Steve Borthwick’s side struggled for results
While the RFU’s expected loss for 2024 is undoubtedly a huge number, it can be explained in part due to the figure covering England’s 2023 World Cup campaign and by the fact they did not host any November Tests. According to sources, the RFU still have a strong financial balance sheet, no debt, significant cash reserves and positive ‘profit and loss’ reserves.
However, at a time when he has also signed off on 40 RFU redundancies, the astonishing sum paid to Sweeney will undoubtedly come under fire.
Documents seen by MailSport, which cover the 12 months to June this year, show that Sweeney was paid a basic salary and bonus of £742,000
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, English rugby has been struggling badly financially and its impact led to the demise of three Gallagher Premiership clubs in Worcester Warriors, Wasps, and London Irish. But that hasn’t stopped Sweeney – who heads up English rugby – from earning more than £1m for just the past 12 months alone.
The news comes at the end of a year in which Borthwick’s England men’s side has won only five of 12 games.
It is unclear at this stage as to what exactly the £358,000 ‘long-term incentive plan’ payment given to Sweeney is for, although in simple terms it amounts to another bonus of sorts.
For the previous financial year of 2023, Sweeney’s total salary amounted to £684,000.
The RFU was approached for comment.
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