Paris (AFP)
The French Rugby Federation has estimated that the 2020-2021 budget would present a negative result of 5.63 million euros, due in particular to the "stimulus plan" deployed to support the clubs during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a press release published Tuesday.
The budget "presents a total expenditure of € 126.4 million, financed by revenue of € 120.7 million, generating an estimated result of - € 5.63 million," explained the governing body after its steering committee.
However, specifies the FFR, the result would have been "positive by 2.4M €", "excluding the recovery plan". "The FFR has chosen to support its network in a very difficult economic and social context" due to the coronavirus pandemic, details the Federation, which has pledged 35 million euros in aid for amateur rugby .
At the beginning of June, League and Federation had found an agreement on the financing in equal parts (1.35 million euros in total) of the National, the new French third division, which will be inserted between the Pro D2 and the Federal 1 .
"The result of the 2019-2020 season should be in balance despite the activation of the recovery plan and the loss of activity linked to the health crisis, except in the event of an exceptional event not known to date", adds further the FFR.
Recently, the FFR had estimated that the effects of the health crisis would represent between 3.5 and 4 million euros in loss, partly linked to the postponement of the France-Ireland match in the Six Nations Tournament, but wanted to be reassuring , claiming to have "the resources to get through this crisis".
The FFR thus explained that it had a treasury of 76 million euros, including 59 million insurance funds, equity estimated at 32.5 million and nearly 110 million insured until 2024 thanks to partner contracts.
© 2020 AFP