Six Nations Financing

[Digby]

The 6N board it's reported were confident they could secure a new main partner sponsorship deal for £100 million over 6 years, or £17 million per annum. In the event they didn't get anything close to that, although HSBC were reported to have offered close for a joint 6N and Lions contract that was declined. Having not found anyone wanting to meet the spend the 6N board went back to RBS to enquire as to whether their offer of £15 million per season was still on the table and were told it wasn't, but the bank would spend £9 million a year for a new contract.

Rumour has it he 6N board and RBS are now basically in agreement with RBS willing to match the current £11million a year sum. But it's bloody embarrassing for the 6N board (who one hopes all miss out on any possible bonus for missing their stated target by 60%) and shows a clear misread of the value of selling the game into US markets, and a timely reminder that sponsorship doesn't always go up, and that you'd do well not to forget your core market with dreams of accessing wealth in the USA.

What this means to the various unions isn't clear, they might have already built in the supposed additional spend per annum and it would appear that's not now coming. All in all I'm amused, but rugby needs to be careful in this area.

[Oakboy]

I've never understood why sponsorship deals were negotiated separately from TV deals. Can the price not be jacked up with a combined package somehow?

[Timbo]

The RFU are ripping up a couple of women’s 7’s contracts as we speak.

[Digby]

They may well be, though it wouldn't cover the lower revenues Vs those that had been projected, so maybe they'll go after youth and disabled rugby too

[Timbo]

Possibly! But in all seriousness, it’s barely a dent for the RFU i’d Imagine. They’ll cope.

[Digby]

It's basically a million a year per union, nothing to be sneezed at.