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How Bankrupt is Rugby Canada: RC Looking to Impose $10 Tax on Every Registered Player to Send Women to World Cup
[ed. comments below]
posted Mar 10 2010
A reader wrote in obviously very agitated with this information but wanted to keep his name out of it, so this is basically the summary of what he sent.
The BCRU met recently to discuss issues leading up to the RC AGM in a couple of weeks. One of the contentious issues is a proposal of Rugby Canada to impose a $10 levy on every registered player (including junior and mini members) to cover the cost of sending the women to the World Cup this year. Which brings up the question, how bankrupt is Rugby Canada? This scheme would tax BC to a tune of $55,000 and nationally to the tune of $220,000.
It's tough for the women who paid $2000 (or was it more) individually to go to France earlier this year but didn't get a clear breakdown on where that money was spent. But should the rugby community including junior and minis and their parents have to pay for Rugby Canada's suspected ineptitude and mismanagement by forking out a levy every time there is a special event, whether women, men or juniors?
One thing that annoys me is the posturing by the Provinces including BC without any concrete action. The following was attached to the email and I'm not sure of the source but it would summarize the feelings in BC I think:
"Members of the BCRU Board were very upset about this proposal and Rugby Canada's financial management generally. At the same time they see us caught between a rock and a hard place, the women desperately needing this support. BCRU has committed itself to do what it can at the RC meeting to find a more acceptable alternative to the levy, while at the same time trying to make sure that the women from BC receive the support they require. BCRU will also make it clear at the meeting that the financial management at Rugby Canada must be radically improved."
The problem is these are just words, when are the Provinces going to initiate change instead of just voicing their disapproval? I have an alternative, restructuring of Rugby Canada to reduce the million dollar payroll to half a million. Will anyone propose this at the meeting? It's a valid business strategy when a company is running at a loss. I doubt this option will be raised because I don't think the people we have entrusted rugby to in this country have the stomach to initiate this level of change. The people who are going to initiate change are the board of directors and the provincial representatives. The best you can do in BC is write to these individuals and let your voice be heard. Here are the AGM players that are based in BC.
Jeff Sauve - BCRU CEO - jsauve@bcrugby.com
Blake Lewis - BCRU President - blakeney.lewis@cibc.ca
Rick Bourne - Rugby Canada Chairman - rbourne@rugbycanada.ca
Morris Biddle - Rugby Canada Director - mbiddle@rugbycanada.ca
Pat Aldous - Rugby Canada Director - paldous@rugbycanada.ca
David Robertson - Rugby Canada Director - drobertson@rugbycanada.ca
Mark Slay - Rugby Canada Director - mslay@rugbycanada.ca
Stephanie White - Rugby Canada Director - swhite@rugbycanada.ca
Chris LeFevre - iRB Representative - clefevre@rugbycanada.ca
Jim Douglas - Male Athlete Representative - jdouglas@rugbycanada.ca
More HQ Staff; Traveling the World with the Olympic 7s Fund; $60K GBP for North Wales??
[ed. comments below]
posted Feb 26 2010
I know readers always enjoy this column, what’s happening down at the castle? Well you saw we have a new paid position, Dustin Hopkins is the new Coach Development Manager, at least this time they hired someone who is in Canada as Dustin hails from Alberta. RC says the iRB and Sport Canada are footing the bill. Amazing where all this money is coming from eh? He’ll be working out of Victoria, pretty soon they’ll have to move to a larger office with all the staff they’re packing in there. According to the press release, "Dustin will ensure increasing numbers of grass root coaches for clubs across Canada". That sounds pretty good, memo to Dustin or Trevor, please send BCRN your action plan for accomplishing this, we’d love to share this with the clubs.
So on the subject of money and what happens when Rugby Canada runs out of it because of their huge staff costs, the answer is simple, go to the Canadian Rugby Foundation. Now this is complex so pay attention. The CRF gathers money from various generous individuals and creates specific funds, these are restricted funds, restricted funds have fund managers who determine who gets the restricted money. So one of the better known funds is the “Olympic Sevens Fund”. Now you could be excused for thinking this would be spent exclusively on the players preparing them for the Olympics, apparently not. I found out that our beloved RC communications manager with video camera in hand is having his trip to Hong Kong paid for out of this fund. Now a reliable source had said the CRF had paid for his Vegas trip but the head man at CRF said, not true, but we’re paying for Hong Kong. So I’m not sure which trips the “Olympic Sevens Fund” is picking up for the RC man and I’m not sure they know either. Now this is where it gets interesting, so the RC communications manager paid for by you and me, is shooting video for a new show called Scrum TV which is partly owned by a video production company, I assume in Toronto. So if you donated to the “Olympic Sevens Fund”, Doug says thanks, as does the production company. By the way I’ve forwarded a list of 7s destinations I’d like to visit to the CRF, reminding them that I also own a video camera, also a preferred list of hotels... I haven’t heard back from them yet.
So more money stories. A reader in the UK overheard a recruiting speech from the RGC1404 management in which the figure of 60,000 pounds was mentioned as coming from Rugby Canada invested in the North Wales program. Can’t be, I thought to myself. So I’ve made discreet enquiries, no one has said “not true” yet so I’ll keep digging. 60K GBP that would be 96K CAD, someone tell me it’s not true. I’m not sure if that figure represents the money the carded players are receiving from the Canadian government or extra cash put into the program. As usual I’ll keep readers informed on any clarification.
So that’s it for this week, keep healthy, eat well and if you run out of money, call the CRF and tell them you work for Rugby Canada... and own a video camera.
How Many High-Performance Staff Does it Take to Change a Light Bulb or Examine Facilities in New Zealand... Two
[ed. I would normally put this under editorials but keeping an eye on Rugby Canada and their excesses is almost a full time job, so I've created a new category where you can interact with the people at the top and state your view.]
posted Jan 26 2010
I guess the joke would start like this, "How many Rugby Canada high-performance staff does it take to change a light bulb" or perhaps "How many Rugby Canada high-performance staff does it take to examine a field", well the answer to either question is two. That's right the Rugby Canada site boasted that both Kieran Crowley and Geraint John have gone down to New Zealand to examine facilities and fields prior to the 2011 World Cup. I guess one makes sure the green side is up and the other counts the blades of grass.
In the last World Cup we sent the manager with a video camera but now we hire professional tourists, err I mean professional rugby people and it takes them a little longer to figure it out. Besides there's all the contacts to make, hands to shake, dinners to attend after all they won't be staying in this rugby wilderness called Canada for long and they need to make contacts before their contracts run out. So as the "taxpayer" funding this holiday, how does it make you feel? Used, abused, laughed at, mocked, powerless, well then do something about it. Here are some email addresses that you may consider writing to, your letter could be anything from "well I think actually you need three people to examine the fields, and I just happen to have my certificate in facility & field examination", to "when will you guys start acting like you're accountable to the Canadian rugby public", you decide.
Rick Bourne - Chairman - rbourne@rugbycanada.ca
Graham Brown - CEO - gbrown@rugbycanada.ca
Mike Duffy - CFO - mduffy@rugbycanada.ca
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