English Rugby Union: Governance

Dan Aldridge Excerpts

Tuesday 11th March 2025 Westminster Hall

[Dan Aldridge (Weston-super-Mare) (Lab)]

It is an honour to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Desmond. As the MP for a constituency with not one but two rugby union clubs, the governance of English rugby union is of particular importance to me and my constituents. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Camborne and Redruth (Perran Moon) for securing this debate, and for sharing his expertise, passion and love of the game as well as his beautiful community and constituency.

Rugby plays such a vital role in local communities. It fosters camaraderie, discipline and opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds. There is nowhere in the country that knows this more than my constituency of Weston-super-Mare, where rugby union is part of the very fabric of our town. As I mentioned, we are lucky enough to have two incredible grassroots rugby union teams in Weston—Weston RFC and Hornets RFC, both of whom do an incredible job of representing our town and supporting our community. Both clubs serve as vital hubs of activity and work, and they both work incredibly hard to use rugby as a vehicle to drive positive change. They help to bring us together, offering spaces where people can belong irrespective of their background or ability. That is particularly true for the young people in the town who, thanks to our two clubs, have the chance to engage and excel in sport, learn teamwork and develop resilience. In fact, Weston Rugby Club was home to the first minis section in England almost 50 years ago.

Both clubs do a lot of work to raise awareness of mental health issues in the town. In particular the Hornets work with the phenomenal charity Talk Club. It is an incredible initiative where people across the town come together every week to talk about their mental health in a safe, secure environment. Steve Barnard leads Talk Club in Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset. I pay tribute to him and his leadership and vision to support men’s mental health and knowing where to find the men—go to where the men are if you want to talk about men’s mental health.

I also pay special tribute to the work of Steve Worrall, former head coach at Weston RFC, who sadly died earlier this year, not long after coming back to the club. Ben Milsom at Hornets RFC is an unsung hero, whose contribution to the club has been invaluable. Both men are absolute legends in Weston-super-Mare.

This debate is about how we ensure that clubs like Weston and Hornets can continue to be pillars of the community in the face of mounting challenges. Many English rugby union clubs are facing huge financial problems. Rising operational costs, economic pressures and unsustainable funding models mean that many clubs are struggling to survive. There is a pressing need to protect and improve the financial sustainability of our clubs to ensure they do not just survive but, as my hon. Friend the Member for Camborne and Redruth said, thrive and grow.

While investment at the elite level is crucial in order to grow the game’s wider popularity, we must also prioritise financial support for grassroots clubs. We must see greater transparency and accountability from the RFU to ensure a fairer distribution of resources. It surely cannot be right that RFU executives receive huge bonuses to the tune of millions, while grassroots clubs like Weston and Hornets struggle to get the funds they need to truly thrive and deliver on their potential. Financial support should be targeted to safeguard the future of smaller clubs and the essential work they do for our communities. Initiatives such as improved revenue-sharing mechanisms, enhanced sponsorship opportunities and targeted grassroots funding must be explored.

Rugby has always been a game for the many, not just the few. It thrives when we support clubs at every level. The sustainability of grassroots clubs is not just a matter of sport, but of community and national and regional identity. All stakeholders in English rugby union must work together to build a future where every club, from the grassroots to the top tier, is financially secure and able to flourish for generations to come. If we fail to address these issues, we risk losing not just clubs and the huge benefits they bring to our communities, but the heart and soul of rugby itself.