England players’ £25,000 match fees may take a hit in the future, according to the Rugby Football Union’s departing chief executive Steve Brown, after the governing body announced a loss of £30.9 million on Monday.
The RFU also expressed a degree of regret over the high cost of its £220 million deal with Premiership clubs which guarantees Eddie Jones access to his players in the first place.
“We have an affordable position with the [payment] of England players, and we need to make sure that is sustainable for the future,” said Brown.
“That’s key. We need to make sure there’s a sustainable model that keeps the players safe and fit and well, well-paid for what they do, but also operating a commercially sound and stable business.
“The market determines that to a certain extent, but the next phase we’re going through, with some of the wider challenges affecting us, will start to level that [out] a bit.”