Government unveil ‘survival package’ to help fund sport in winter lockdown

Eleven sports hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic will receive varying levels of a cash injection, the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has announced.

The support will largely be in the form of loans, DCMS said, with Government honouring its pledge to aid those spectator sports hit hardest.

Rugby union is the biggest beneficiary of the ‘Winter Survival Package’, receiving £135m which is broken down into £44m to the Rugby Football Union, £59m to Premiership Rugby clubs, £9m to clubs in the Championship and £23m to clubs below the second tier.

Rugby league will receive £12m having already been loaned £16m earlier in the pandemic. Ralph Rimmer, chief executive of the RFL, said: “The Government showed in granting rugby league an initial loan in the spring that they valued the significant social impact of the sport in often disadvantaged communities.

“The RFL and our clubs followed a rigorous process in the distribution of those loans, which have now been allocated to all 10 of the UK-based Super League clubs as well as a number in Championship and League 1, and have been invaluable in allowing them to meet the continued challenges. The extended loan facility is extremely welcome.”

Football is to receive £28m, though none of that is earmarked for EFL clubs, with many in Leagues One and Two still desperate for support after playing behind closed doors since March.

The National League (steps one and two), will receive £11m, steps three to six will receive £14m and the Women’s Super League and Championship, £3m.

Allocation of funding has been made on a needs based assessment process and reflects the submissions made from the individual sports, which is why some sports have more, some have less and the distribution within that is different as well.

For instance, basketball receives £4m; £3m of which goes to the men’s and women’s BBL clubs with the other £1m going to Basketball England, its national league clubs and grassroots programmes.

BBL chairman Sir Rodney Walker said: “DCMS gave us the confidence to start the 2020/21 season a few weeks ago, with a commitment of support, and we are particularly pleased with the level now confirmed.”

Ice hockey has also received £4m, all of which will go to the Elite League, whose chairman Tony Smith, said: “It will be important for us to understand how much of the funding is made up of grants or loans, as that will have a large impact on how we can proceed, together with any additional requirements we need to fulfil from Sport England who will now take control of the funding process.”

Netball is also set to receive £4m, split 50-50 between the Superleague and Netball England.

The Lawn Tennis Association is to receive £5m to distribute throughout the game and badminton, which has been hit particularly hard, gets £2m.

Badminton England’s chief executive Adrian Christy tweeted: “Up to £2m will make such a difference to the badminton community who, like many, have been affected by Covid. This award is critical.”

Horse racing will receive £40m to support racecourses unable to welcome visitors while motorsport gets £6m.

David Richards, chairman of Motorsport UK, said: “Motorsport is an industry that employs over 40,000 people and provides some £10bn of revenues to the economy, and at the heart of that are our fixed venue circuits. Their continued operation is vital for the sport to be sustainable.”

Cricket is not included due to the bailout being a ‘Winter Survival Package’.

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