Bailout package for Welsh spectator sports

Article posted by Coliseum, February 1^st, 2021

Image: Principality Stadium

To help spectator sports tide over the severe financial effects due to COVID-19 which still continues to thump the United Kingdom, the Welsh Government has announced a £17.7m (€19.9m/$24.2m) funding package, with rugby union to benefit the most after being granted £13.5m.

Football has been granted £1.5m, while horse racing and cricket will receive £1.2m and £1m, respectively. Elsewhere, ice hockey and rugby league have each been granted £200,000, with netball to be awarded £100,000.

The funding package is designed to provide these sports with immediate financial support for the remainder of the winter period, ensuring they will be ready for the start of the new season in September 2021.

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Funding package to the respective national governing bodies will be directly allocated by the Welsh Government. It is hoped the funding will ensure the short- to medium-term survival of sports organizations and clubs.

Remarked Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, “While restrictions on supporters at events have been vital in stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives, there can be no doubt that they have created real hardships for many sports clubs, many of whom receive a significant proportion of their income through spectator attendance.”

The Minister added, “Sport is an important sector of our economy and has a positive impact on our mental and physical wellbeing. Sporting events provide important shared experiences, have often been a welcome distraction during the pandemic and will be a vital player in our recovery and healing after the crisis. I know this money will provide some stability to those sports worst affected by the loss of revenue during the pandemic, helping to bridge the financial gap until spectators are able to return safely.”

The funding package has been announced after the Welsh Government launched an £8m Sport Resilience Fund in April 2020 alongside Sport Wales. The fund was used to provide financial assistance to sports clubs and partner networks.

A further £14m funding package was announced for the sport and leisure sector in September 2020 to support clubs and organizations, independent providers and sporting events on which the pandemic has had a catastrophic effect.

The Sport Resilience Fund is made up of funding from the Welsh Government and the National Lottery to help sport emerge from the crisis and continue to support people in Wales to enjoy being active.

Following the announcement of the latest funding package, Wales’ Finance Minister Rebecca Evans asserted, “We’re committed to providing a responsible and targeted approach to addressing the financial impact of the pandemic. The package of support we have announced today takes the total funding for this sector to more than £40m since the start of the crisis, helping to provide longer-term stability for a sector that has suffered significant financial loss.”

Added Evans, “As we look ahead to brighter days, sport and physical activity will be vital players in our recovery, helping to develop a healthier and more resilient Wales.”

The funding has been announced following the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) in October posting a loss of £5.3m for the 2020 financial year ahead of what it anticipated would be an even tougher next 12 months.

In November 2020, the UK Government confirmed a £300m cash injection for major spectator sports in England, although elite men’s football and cricket were excluded as rugby union secured the lion’s share of the largesse.

In December 2020, Scotland’s Sports Minister Joe FitzPatrick announced a £55m emergency sports funding package to make up for loss of gate-related income caused by COVID-19 which has devastated the sports venue sector. Scottish football received £30m of the funding, with Scottish rugby awarded £20m.

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