Appendix 5
PAPER SUBMITTED BY SPORT ENGLAND
THE FUTURE OF PROFESSIONAL RUGBY
Sport England's response to Select Committee
recommendation iv
Recommendation
- "We recommend to Sport England that further
public investment in facilities and grounds for professional clubs
should be subject to two conditions. First, as proposed by Hemel
Hempstead RLFC, grants for spectator facilities should be 'linked
with a club's proven track record of youth, schools and amateur
development in the community'. Second, conditions related to the
management and finances of professional clubs should be imposed
before grants are given for stadium development" (paragraph
43).
Action
— Grant applications from sports clubs
already have to meet a number of standard conditions—relating
to junior sections, and accessibility to women and people with
disabilities.
— Grant applications from professional
sports clubs have to meet further conditions which ensure that,
for example, they result in no private gain, they provide clear
value to the local community, and they are ring-fenced for a specific
purpose.
— Grants for spectator facilities are normally
a low priority for the Sport England Lottery Fund, except in cases
where they are part of a wider development of sports facilities
or are necessary on safety grounds. This is true of all sports,
not just professional rugby. In respect of the latter, the Council
has recently established the 'Safer Sports Grounds' initiative,
which focuses financial support on the three spectator sports
of rugby league, rugby union and cricket to improve safety at
relevant grounds.
— Applications for grants to improve all
facilities have long been expected to be part of a broader sports
development strategy, aimed at improving the club's performance
in a number of areas—such as those suggested by Hemel Hempstead
RLFC and endorsed by the Committee.
August 2000
|
