RugbyRebels

From The Times: The RFU will pay Bill Sweeney £1.1million this year — a record for a chief executive at a British sports governing body — at a time when Twickenham is braced for record losses and redundancies!

Included in that is £358k bonus!

Imagine how little the bonus would be if the results were poor

Epaminondas Pules wrote: ↑Mon Nov 25, 2024 8:46 pm From The Times: The RFU will pay Bill Sweeney £1.1million this year — a record for a chief executive at a British sports governing body — at a time when Twickenham is braced for record losses and redundancies!

Included in that is £358k bonus!

about a quarter of what has been set aside this year for the champ. 10% less than my clubs turnover

But he took a pay cut curing Covid. I don’t know how much exactly. Presumably near minimum wage.

Given the state of the game's finances and Englands poor results that award is frankly a joke.

On the back of under-selling the stadium name (and claiming it was a fantastic achievement), the part that will infuriate fans is paying him a third of a million in performance bonuses when performances merited a fine. He was accused at an enquiry of perching on his ivory tower as he was so far out of touch. That is Sweeney, IMO. Neither rugby nor financial decisions merit praise, never mind cash.

Team work starts with the chief exec. What sort of inspirational message does this send on the back of staff redundancies? Maybe the RFU should define all salaries in units of their lowest paid employee so that Borthwick is paid, say, 20 x LP and the chief exec 30 x LP. Based on performance at the end of each season, bonuses should be paid to all employees on similar scales. Bonuses should always be earned, shared and motivational for the whole team.

Yet to see evidence that the stadium name was under-sold.
I've seen the claim, I've seen it refuted with evidence, and I've seen it claimed again, and again, despite the refutations and evidence.
Also, I suspect it's safe to assume that his performance is measured on the performance of the RFU, not the England national rugby team.

None of which is to say that anyone, anywhere, deserves such a bonus, or standing salary, or that the performance of the RFU or the England national rugby team is good.

If it’s like most other companies the non exec remuneration committee establish if the CEOs compensation package is ‘fair’ in reality it’s like fellow pupils making their own homework - nice work if you can get it!

I'm not in favour of his pay packet in general, but I do have to call out the reporting on this, as it's making it sound like this bonus was performance-based and contrasting it to the results (on and off the pitch) - it's my understanding that it's actually deferred salary from when he agrees to take half-pay during COVID to ease financial pressure.

I'm happy to argue that he shouldn't get a £742k salary in the first place, and that I'm pretty sure he doesn't provide £600k more value to the RFU than someone they could get for £150k, but the bonus that's been causing such amusement doesn't appear to actually be a bonus.

Puja

Puja wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 9:42 am I'm not in favour of his pay packet in general, but I do have to call out the reporting on this, as it's making it sound like this bonus was performance-based and contrasting it to the results (on and off the pitch) - it's my understanding that it's actually deferred salary from when he agrees to take half-pay during COVID to ease financial pressure.

I'm happy to argue that he shouldn't get a £742k salary in the first place, and that I'm pretty sure he doesn't provide £600k more value to the RFU than someone they could get for £150k, but the bonus that's been causing such amusement doesn't appear to actually be a bonus.

Puja

I’ll do the job for a significant discount

Btw does the current Chairman of RFU have any background in rugby prior to taking up post?

jngf wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 5:30 pm Btw does the current Chairman of RFU have any background in rugby prior to taking up post?

Sweeney? He's just a career CEO. I think he had some involvement with the Olympics, but otherwise he's pure capitalist scum

Danno wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 5:59 pm

jngf wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 5:30 pm Btw does the current Chairman of RFU have any background in rugby prior to taking up post?

Sweeney? He's just a career CEO. I think he had some involvement with the Olympics, but otherwise he's pure capitalist scum

Not Sweeney, there’s another chap who’s the Chairman

Tom Ilube?
Capitalist scum again.

"roles at PwC, Goldman Sachs and the London Stock Exchange."

jngf wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 6:58 pm

Danno wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 5:59 pm

jngf wrote: ↑Tue Nov 26, 2024 5:30 pm Btw does the current Chairman of RFU have any background in rugby prior to taking up post?

Sweeney? He's just a career CEO. I think he had some involvement with the Olympics, but otherwise he's pure capitalist scum

Not Sweeney, there’s another chap who’s the Chairman

Tom Ilube. Helluva cv but no idea how frankly. No rugby background to my knowledge.
Sweeney inherited a sh£t show at BOA and actually did a good job. He did at least play some wugger.

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 12:26 pm

Yeah, I spotted that too. I wonder whether the IRB and New Zealand were informed that the summer tests didn't count? Good thing we didn't win them, tbh - would've been annoying to've been celebrating and then discovering it wasn't actually a real game.

Frankly, I think the report is too unambitious in its turd polishing. Should've said, "England Men had a win rate of 100% this year, which does not include the matches against Scotland, France, New Zealand, Australia or South Africa." Could be bonuses all around!

Puja

I suspect Rachel Reeves has been doing a spot of moonlighting as RFU’s accountant

Puja wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 12:54 pm

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 12:26 pm

Yeah, I spotted that too. I wonder whether the IRB and New Zealand were informed that the summer tests didn't count? Good thing we didn't win them, tbh - would've been annoying to've been celebrating and then discovering it wasn't actually a real game.

Frankly, I think the report is too unambitious in its turd polishing. Should've said, "England Men had a win rate of 100% this year, which does not include the matches against Scotland, France, New Zealand, Australia or South Africa." Could be bonuses all around!

Puja

Tbf, the first excerpt Petty quotes is very similar to some defences for Suckingthe Backside posted on here at points this month.

jngf wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 1:14 pm I suspect Rachel Reeves has been doing a spot of moonlighting as RFU’s accountant

There is a politics board for this bs. Better than most of your posts about the backrow but ffs.

That got me pretty good.

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 2:20 pm

jngf wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 1:14 pm I suspect Rachel Reeves has been doing a spot of moonlighting as RFU’s accountant

There is a politics board for this bs. Better than most of your posts about the backrow but ffs.

Are you the moderator?

jngf wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 10:15 pm

Mellsblue wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 2:20 pm

jngf wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 1:14 pm I suspect Rachel Reeves has been doing a spot of moonlighting as RFU’s accountant

There is a politics board for this bs. Better than most of your posts about the backrow but ffs.

Are you the moderator?

That would be me, but I can confirm they are correct in saying politics goes on the politics board. Never been any good come from opening that can of worms on the main rugby board, even for the sake of quipping wittily.

Puja

Mikey Brown wrote: ↑Wed Nov 27, 2024 3:10 pm That got me pretty good.

And others