Triumph will fuel growth of game

13 April 2012

English rugby will use the World Cup triumph to boost Twickenham's coffers and reverse the loss of players in the game.

The Rugby Football Union expect to see annual revenue rise from £65million to £80m and playing numbers up by five per cent by the end of the season.

The confirmation that an England XV will play the New Zealand Barbarians at Twickenham next month will boost funds.

The RFU were expecting to make a £3.5m loss this year but the extra match on 20 December, along with new sponsorship deals following the World Cup victory, could allow the Union to break even.

The re was a hug e increase in the number of youngsters playing minirugby after England lost the 1991 World Cup Final to Australia. The RFU today admitted the feel-good factor died following the 1999 quarter-final defeat.

Terry Burwell, RFU community rugby and operations director, said: "We have to make sure that the legacy of 2003 endures into 2023."

In a bid to use the World Cup triumph as a major launching pad, the RFU have created the Impact strategy - a blueprint for grass-roots rugby covering players, coaches, officials and administrators.

Paul Vaughan, the RFU commercial director, said: "The more money we get the more we can invest in the game at all levels."

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Triumph will fuel growth of game

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