Planet Rugby Forum

A private equity firm has gained an unprecedented influence over European rugby after striking a deal worth more than £300 million for a share in the Six Nations.

CVC Capital Partners, which has already bought a stake in the Gallagher Premiership and has nearly completed a similar deal with the Guinness Pro14, has agreed in principle to buy a 15 per cent share in the six unions’ commercial arm.

The European countries have decided to pool their businesses into one commercial entity, meaning that the private equity firm will own a share not only of the Six Nations Championship, but also the autumn inter- nationals and summer tours

Enzedder wrote:There goes any faint hopes of a global season.

How can they "own" a part of the summer tours?

World Rugby officials have expressed their concern at the potential implications of Europe’s major rugby-playing nations signing a game-changing new deal with a private equity firm. A proposed package worth around £300m is said to have been agreed in principle between the Six Nations and CVC, which would also mean the latter owning a 15 % share of autumn and summer tour commercial rights.

With CVC, previously involved in Formula One, having already bought into the Gallagher Premiership and looking to tie up a further partnership deal with the Guinness Pro14, the prospect of radical alterations to the existing international and club structure is steadily increasing, potentially undermining World Rugby’s authority as the sport’s governing body.

“Someone who is as big an investor in the sport as a private equity firm like CVC will create influence. That is something that in some areas could concern us,” said Brett Gosper, World Rugby’s chief executive. “When you have a high-funding commercial owner of the sport that isn’t the governing body then certain calls can be made which we might think aren’t in the interests of the sport’s growth, player welfare or other areas. We would want to make sure things are being done for the right reasons and that our influence wasn’t usurped.”

World Rugby will now be pressing for further details, having previously failed to reach their own agreement with CVC to back their rejected World League proposal which would have involved the world’s leading 10 nations playing against each other to create more interest in non-World Cup years. “The Six Nations have decided to take another route but I’d have to say we don’t know enough about the ins and outs of that deal,” said Gosper.

“We can’t really comment at this stage whether it’s good or bad. But many of our biggest members have welcomed this increased funding and so we can only recognise it as a positive. We just have a couple of concerns and I’m sure we’ll have a chance to discuss those with CVC and the Six Nations. Given the recent positions CVC have taken in the game it would be madness for us not to be in some source of communication with them. We all want a healthy, growing sport.”

blindcider wrote:I wonder how much of this sale has been instigated as protection against more WR madcap schemes such as "creating more interest in non-world cup years" when the 6N and AIs sell out petty much every match anyway?

MrDominator wrote:They'll be conducting public enquiries into this decision in 10 years' time. Complete and utter lunacy.

.

Kid A wrote:

MrDominator wrote:They'll be conducting public enquiries into this decision in 10 years' time. Complete and utter lunacy.

.

Why is it lunacy?

Seems like excellent business to me.

MrDominator wrote:Rugby blazers must be the thickest administrators of any sport.

nardol wrote:

Kid A wrote:

MrDominator wrote:They'll be conducting public enquiries into this decision in 10 years' time. Complete and utter lunacy.

.

Why is it lunacy?

Seems like excellent business to me.

You were complaining the pro14 not being on free to air tv a few weeks ago

Floppykid wrote:"Huge advocate of PayTV"

Kid A wrote:
I have never, ever complained about the pro14 not being on free to air. Find a post where I have. I'm a huge advocate of pay tv. so you've fcked that one right up.

Kid A wrote:Judgement day! I've heard this is on 'Premier Sport'. Why the fcuk is it being broadcasted on there? I do not know of any pub or mate who subscribes to that channel.

Anyone know of a stream?

c69 wrote: I have a poor stream on my phone via mobdro on android.
Premier Sports ffs

nardol wrote: 10 quid a month ffs. Or how about going to the game?

c69 wrote: Very poor for the Pro14 to sell out to a subscription channel that doesn't show games in the pub.
Also, it's all very well saying it's just £10/month, but that's only if you already have Sky. Lots of working class people follow rugby in Wales, many of whom would only have Freeview television, and you can't get Premier Sports on Freeview. So you're looking at a Sky package first and foremost.
Ultimately, i'm sure many in attendance yesterday will have watched two tightly contested, entertaining games. No-one else in Wales will be talking about it though, as they've not seen it.

easyray wrote: 1) I'm not sure it's the pro14 / premier sports fault, if your local pub doesn't subscribe to the channel they are on.

2) Subscription channels mean more money for Welsh rugby.

3) You don't have to have sky to get Premier Sports. It's available on several other platforms and you can also watch it via mobile / laptop / tablets etc


The entitlement of "Welsh rugby fans" has to be seen to be believed. Get off your fckin arse, and put money into the game and stop expecting everything to land on your fckin doorstep free of charge - for goodness fcking sake.

Kid A wrote:That's not about pay tv you dolt. That's a specific Premier Sports complaint.

nardol wrote:

Kid A wrote:That's not about pay tv you dolt. That's a specific Premier Sports complaint.

So pay tv good

except when the rugby is actually ON pay tv.

Gotcha.

Kid A wrote:

nardol wrote:

Kid A wrote:That's not about pay tv you dolt. That's a specific Premier Sports complaint.

So pay tv good

except when the rugby is actually ON pay tv.

Gotcha.

No no. Pay TV is good. When they pay tv channel is competent.

nardol wrote:
Im now more interested in rob howley being kicked out of wales for gambling offenses

Kid A wrote:

MrDominator wrote:They'll be conducting public enquiries into this decision in 10 years' time. Complete and utter lunacy.

.

Why is it lunacy?

Seems like excellent business to me.

paddyor wrote:

Kid A wrote:

MrDominator wrote:They'll be conducting public enquiries into this decision in 10 years' time. Complete and utter lunacy.

.

Why is it lunacy?

Seems like excellent business to me.

Well to turn it around why is it excellent business? Has the move to premier sports proved a winner for the game in Wales? Because more of the game will be going to private TV and given you can barely turn a few quid out of match day tickets it's unlikely to be big driver of revenue. It'll likely be spunked away on players wages.

Kid A wrote:The teams in Wales are far better off now. Even though I despise Premier Sports, so the answer is yes.

There will be more money in the game. Meaning the Unions will have to rely less on meaningless test matches.

This will result on less matches for top players meaning greater player welfare

There will be the possibility of moving test rugby to suit either a less conflated test window or a global calendar.

There will be an increased harmony among European rugby bosses that will increase the chances of a British and Irish League.

Lots of plusses.

RMBJ wrote:

MrDominator wrote:Rugby blazers must be the thickest administrators of any sport.

Rugby League: Hold my beer!

Kid A wrote:

nardol wrote:

Kid A wrote:That's not about pay tv you dolt. That's a specific Premier Sports complaint.

So pay tv good

except when the rugby is actually ON pay tv.

Gotcha.

No no. Pay TV is good. When they pay tv channel is competent.

eldanielfire wrote:

Kid A wrote:

nardol wrote:

Kid A wrote:That's not about pay tv you dolt. That's a specific Premier Sports complaint.

So pay tv good

except when the rugby is actually ON pay tv.

Gotcha.

No no. Pay TV is good. When they pay tv channel is competent.

Isn't free TV on a competent channel even better than?

Mog The Almighty wrote:Pay TV is shit because it destroys the game for it's own private profit. Meaning that they make it inaccessible for a lot of people and so nobody watches it, other sports fill the vacuum and that's the end of that. Rugby Union vs Rugby League in Australia is the perfect example. League is way may popular despite being the vastly inferior code just because most people grow up with it in their living rooms. As a result Australia are the best Rugby League team in the world by a million miles, League is huge in Australia and Rugby is dying a slow death, locked up on pay TV deals.

Pay TV is shit for the game but might be okay for you, individually, if you're already a fan and can afford to pay for it. Even then they often have f-cking ads anyway so they're really just f-cking everyone over for their own bottom line.

Soon everything will probably be streaming online like Kayo Sports and RugbyPass anyway.

Kid A wrote:

Mog The Almighty wrote:Pay TV is shit because it destroys the game for it's own private profit. Meaning that they make it inaccessible for a lot of people and so nobody watches it, other sports fill the vacuum and that's the end of that. Rugby Union vs Rugby League in Australia is the perfect example. League is way may popular despite being the vastly inferior code just because most people grow up with it in their living rooms. As a result Australia are the best Rugby League team in the world by a million miles, League is huge in Australia and Rugby is dying a slow death, locked up on pay TV deals.

Pay TV is shit for the game but might be okay for you, individually, if you're already a fan and can afford to pay for it. Even then they often have f-cking ads anyway so they're really just f-cking everyone over for their own bottom line.

Soon everything will probably be streaming online like Kayo Sports and RugbyPass anyway.

Absolute horse shyte.

Some things are just more popular than others. Soccer hasn't declined in popularity in the UK since 95% of it went to sky tv.

England just won the cricket world cup. How much cricket is on terrestrial tv in the UK?