Jersey Reds: Rugby Players' Association calls for changes to sport after club goes bust

Jersey Reds won the Championship title for the first time in their history last season

The Rugby Players' Association (RPA) says changes must be made to the way rugby union is run after the collapse of Championship holders Jersey Reds.

The club announced on Thursday that it was to cease trading.

They are the fourth professional club to go bust in the past 12 months.

"This is again a failing of the current rugby ecosystem and why we are pushing so hard for changes to be made to governance of the professional game," general secretary Christian Day said.

The RPA says it is helping to support Jersey's players as they come to terms with the club's demise.

Reds had needed £370,000 of money from Jersey's government to tide them over in the summer as they looked for new investment.

But when a planned new investor pulled out - with the club citing uncertainty over the future of the second tier - they had no choice but to cease trading.

"Players and staff have been left with their lives turned upside down overnight," added Day.

"These are talented people trying to forge their way in life, dependant on the club to pay their wages that they have earned and deserve. It is unacceptable that this has again happened with no prior notice to players.

"It is clear that there must be a better support system in place for all elite players which must be rectified as a key part of any new funding agreement."

'Our level of funding isn't adequate'

Alex Rae played and coached at Jersey Reds when they were in their early years in the Championship

Former Jersey Reds player and coach Alex Rae is now head coach at Coventry, who were due to travel to Jersey in the opening round of the Championship next month.

He says the Rugby Football Union (RFU) must support second-tier clubs in England, having cut their funding drastically after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Our level of funding isn't adequate from the RFU," he told BBC Radio Jersey.

"Since Covid it was around £650,000 and that dropped to £160,000, and we're one of the only professional sports where after Covid it hasn't been reinstated to that level. We've stayed the same, which puts a massive stress on clubs.

"Coventry are very well supported - we had 4,000 at the Saracens game and are averaging well over 2,000 - everyone's got a different model, but the RFU funding needs to change.

"There needs to be a clearer picture of how funding looks, how the game looks going forward, because that helps attract sponsors and investors and that clearly isn't happening at the minute."