Duff Paddy wrote:Flash Gordon wrote:
Yeah, but the crowd pay 3Euro in as opposed to 15! You'd have to get 20000 at every schools game to have the same impact. Plus:
1. TV rights
2. 600-700K income for sponsorship/signage
3. over 2million in shirts alone, never mind the rest of the merchandise
4. 4million grant from the IRFU for supply the players
5. Prize money
6. Gate receipts - one bumper quarter or semi-final crowd and you get 2million.
The commercial possibilities for schools rugby are totally miniscule compared to the earning power of the provinces. We paid half a million for that pitch - I reckon you'd need 30 schools games revenue (BEFORE tax) to break even on that investment. Nerver mind the other costs associated with it.
Ah but Flash - the schools cup product is essentially free - i.e. We don't have to pay the players, coaches, backup staff, gym fees, away travel expenses etc. etc.. Add to the fact that the senior cup has a decent sponsor, which the CL doesn't currently have, and the fact that Setanta also televise the schools cup games in Donnybrook - then your argument isn't as watertight as you would have us believe.
Ah come on Duff....I'd say you could get the schools sponsorship for 10 or 20 grand......BOSI probably pay close to half a million, then you have official drink, official beer, official chocolate bar etc. Probably clocks up around 700K. Then there's TV money, VASTLY superior gate receipts (one game at the RDS equates to approximately the entire gate receipts of the schools competition), TV money and Leinster's cut of team Ireland (for which they supply players) - 30.000 Leinster shirts ALONE have been sold this year - never mind the other merchandise - that's 2million sales alone!
Leinster rugby's income runs into the millions - schools rugby isn't close I'm afraid -
by the way, its not free, the IRFU invests several hundred grand into the game at schoolboy level, and they've destroyed a pitch that cost us 500K.....
Certainly not arguing against investment in schools rugby I think its totally right....there are definitely arguments for schools rugby - I don't think economincs are one of them to be honest.
I just don't think they should be playing at Donnybrook......or at the very least, not at the frequency currently.