Jersey Reds: RFU money covers 'a quarter' of costs says chairman Mark Morgan

Jersey are top of the Championship after an opening day 41-16 win at Richmond

Jersey Reds chairman Mark Morgan says the RFU's grant for the club only covers a quarter of its running costs.

Championship clubs each receive £530,000 from the sport's governing body, which set the league up as a fully-professional second tier in 2009.

Earlier this week Jersey's rivals London Welsh avoided liquidation after finding new investors.

"At the moment we probably get one quarter of what we need to run the club form the RFU," Morgan told BBC Jersey.

"The rest of the money comes from people coming to support us on Saturdays, from membership, from our corporate sponsors and benefactors.

"We don't have a sugar daddy writing a big cheque for us, it really is graft, we work for every penny we have."

Clubs agreed a new five-year deal with the RFU in 2015 to up the amount of funding they receive, but despite that the league's 12 clubs still face a difficult financial situation.

"Our average crowds last season were just under the 2,000 mark," added Morgan.

"We've tried to target an increase in that by about 10-15% this season.

"If we could do that by increasing membership, increasing facilities on the day, making people feel welcome, then it will be very helpful for us."

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