IRB grants: Who will benefit?
Fiji, Samoa and Japan are among the leading beneficiaries of increased development grants announced Tuesday by the International Rugby Board (IRB).
The board has increased from 30 million over three years to £48 million ($US58 million to $93 million; €37 million to 60 million) over four years its strategic investment program from 2009 to 2012.
A total of 22 tier one, two and three nations will receive grants under the program, which largely funds high performance and infrastructure initiatives and is additional to the IRB’s annual grants to national unions, tournament funding and training initiatives.
“In total £153 million [US$298 million; €192 million] will be invested in the game during the 2009-2012 period,” IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset said in a statement.
“It will be primarily financed from the £120 million [US$234 million; €151 million] surplus from Rugby World Cup [2007], but will require the IRB to draw over £30 million [$US58 million; €37 million] out of its reserves which highlights the IRB’s commitment to further developing the game.”
Tier one unions – rugby’s major players such as England, Australia, France, South Africa and New Zealand – will receive £14 million pounds (US$27 million; €17.5 million), while tier two and three nations will receive £18.7 million (US$36 million; €23 million).
A further £12.9 million (US$25 million; €16 million) has been set aside to fund tournaments and develop test match programs in tier two and three nations.
The IRB has established a £1.2 million pound (US$2.3 million; €1.5 million) fund to develop “major markets”, aimed at promoting rugby in India, China and Mexico.
One of the international board’s main aims is to have rugby sevens included in the 2011 Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico and at the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi.
Among tier one nations, Argentina will receive £4 million (US$7.7 million; €5 million), including £1.5 million carried over from the previous funding cycle.
Fiji and Japan are the big winners among tier two nations, each receiving grants doubled to £1.9 million (US$3.7 million; €2.4
million). Samoa will receive £2.2 million pounds (US$4.3 million; €2.7 million), largely for infrastructure development, while Tonga’s grant has been held steady at £1.05 million pounds (US$2.04 million; €1.3 million).
Georgia, among tier three nations, will receive £1.7 million pounds (US$3.3 million; €2.1 million) while Portugal will receive £875,000 pounds ($US1.7 million; €1.1 million) over four years.
Russia, Spain and Namibia will receive grants under the program for the first time.
The amount granted to tier two and three nations, combining high performance grants and tournament funding, comes to £31.6 million (US$61.5 million; €39.6 million) or 66 percent of the total.
“Since its inception in 2006 the strategic investment program has succeeded in many areas and it is widely accepted that the performance of many of the developing unions at 2007 World Cup was above expectation and proof that the program is delivering returns on the investment,” Lapasset said.
“The establishment of high performance infrastructures, the employment of high performance managers, coaching staff, strength and conditioning experts, and the start up of new IRB competitions all combined to provide an excellent platform for RWC 2007 preparation.
“More importantly, a high performance culture has begun to flourish across all the funded unions, which has laid the foundations for an even greater uplift in performances over the next RWC cycle.”
