Sale owner Simon Orange reveals owners must put in £300MILLION just to keep the game alive

Simon Orange, owner of Sale Sharks, jokes: ‘It’s probably the least painful loss I’ll make in rugby!’ as he unveils the bill for a team trip to Twickenham and then to Marbella after the Premiership final.

“Maybe we should put three in a room to keep costs down,” he adds, having just spent half an hour discussing the dire state of rugby finances.

Orange bought Sale Sharks in 2016 and pumped millions of pounds into the club he loves, but moments like this make it all worth it.

“For Sale Sharks, this is a moment to celebrate,” says Orange. ‘Everyone comes to Twickenham and then we go to Marbella on Sunday and hope no one gets arrested or jumps off a ferry!

“Whether you win or lose, we make it a point. It feels like a reward for the past six years, but more importantly, I hope it’s a platform to become one of the top teams. We want to fly the flag, together with Newcastle, for the north. Our stadium was rocking for the semi-finals and we need more of that to become somewhat sustainable. Because like everyone else, we are not sustainable at the moment.’

Orange will also spend £250,000 on a team trip to Twickenham and then Marbella

Sustainability is the magic word; a land that feels a million miles away to those trying to balance the books. Sale has invested heavily to increase attendance at AJ Bell Stadium, but Orange recognizes there is still a lot to do. “Rugby finances are in bad shape because we lose so much money between us. A report prepared for the owners predicts we’ll need to put £300m into the game over the next five years to keep it alive.

A sensible argument would be to cut our clothes and make the game financially sustainable, but that would mean cutting the salary cap in half and some clubs don’t want to do that.

‘It’s not going to happen. The salary cap is going back up as agreed when it was lowered to help us through Covid. Right now we’re spending close to £7m give or take and if we lower the limit we might lose quality because players might go overseas so we’re voluntarily losing money to try and keep the top quality competition that we are enjoying. We’ll have to endure financial pain for a few more years and hopefully we’ll get the commercial revenue to catch up.

“We can improve revenue by getting a better TV deal next year, getting a better deal with the RFU, improving sponsorship both centrally and at club level and also building our audience. We regularly want to get 10,000 people to the Sale, but it’s not one panacea, there are many.’

Orange flies high in the top of the tree and has a platform to voice his opinion on the future of the English game. He sees the benefits of reducing the Premiership to a 10-team competition.

“I and others have admitted that a 10-team competition may be the optimal number and that is regardless of the situation other clubs are in. If there were ten teams in the league there would be no crossover with the international game and that’s a big factor. When people pay for season tickets, they want to see the stars every week. They don’t want to look at weakened teams and rightly so.

‘With 10 teams there is more central income, no sub-optimal teams and less work pressure for the players. That all adds up to a better product, which makes us a more compelling TV offering. There is also an argument for having fewer international matches, but the RFU also needs to increase their revenue, so I suspect they don’t want to reduce international matches. It’s not an easy puzzle.

“The reality is that as a northern club we will probably never be completely sustainable [as co-owners, his wife] Michelle, Ged Mason and I will always support financially. Michelle and I have included the club in our will, which shows how much we have invested.’

The northern club has invested heavily to increase attendance at AJ Bell Stadium

The Orange spent £250,000 next weekend and hopes for a win against Saracens. In a season that will be remembered for the loss of two clubs, the rebellion of a northern club would be something to celebrate.

“This season has been a microcosm of life. It was a real shame to lose Worcester and Wasps and you have to feel sorry for their staff, players and supporters. It’s terrible, but it’s a commercial world.

“The situation with the trustees proved that because they had a credible rugby plan from Steve Diamond with financial backing, but they seem to be taking a side that isn’t interested in saving rugby at Sixways and maybe more interested in the potential profit that can be made. of the country. It’s a shame and I feel sorry for the club and the supporters, but that’s how it seems in the world.

“All we can do at Sale is manage our own situation. We have a solid team, supported by a great backroom and a commercial team that is doing a great job. We’ve been in the bottom of the league for years, but we’ve grown a lot on and off the pitch. We invest in the women’s game and we want to build the sport in the north. There is a huge opportunity ahead of us and I hope reaching the final is just a sign of things to come.’