Sorry if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find an answer.
I'm guessing it's registered as a charity? Or else the IRFU owns Leinster, and the IRFU is the charity.
I'm asking because I don't want us to end up like Saracens. Or a soccer club. Or anyone else!
I'm sure we'll never be bought, but it got me wondering. Can anyone fill in the gaps?
Cheers
Who owns Leinster?
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Re: Who owns Leinster?
It's owned by the IRFUthirtynil wrote:Sorry if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find an answer.
I'm guessing it's registered as a charity? Or else the IRFU owns Leinster, and the IRFU is the charity.
I'm asking because I don't want us to end up like Saracens. Or a soccer club. Or anyone else!
I'm sure we'll never be bought, but it got me wondering. Can anyone fill in the gaps?
Cheers
Look out Itchy, he's Irish
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Re: Who owns Leinster?
Yeah- lock, stock and two smoking barrels...cormac wrote:It's owned by the IRFUthirtynil wrote:Sorry if this has been asked before, but I couldn't find an answer.
I'm guessing it's registered as a charity? Or else the IRFU owns Leinster, and the IRFU is the charity.
I'm asking because I don't want us to end up like Saracens. Or a soccer club. Or anyone else!
I'm sure we'll never be bought, but it got me wondering. Can anyone fill in the gaps?
Cheers
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"Oh, I used to be disgusted, and now I try to be amused!"
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Re: Who owns Leinster?
Er.., no, Leinster is not owned by the IRFU.
Leinster Rugby is one of four Branches who are the members (Owners / Constituents) of the IRFU.
Leinster Branch is "owned" by the constituent Clubs, Sections and Affiliated Bodies (e.g. the School & Youths Committees & Referee's Assoc) within the Province. The Representatives of each of these meet monthly as the Executive Committee of Leinster Rugby. Only the AGM of Leinster Rugby has authority above the Executive Committee.
The only analogous ownership structure in professional sport is that of the Green Bay Packers which is in effect owned by a number of locally based Co-Ops and has a not-for-profit corporate structure.
Each Club in Leinster is a registered Sporting Body (akin to a charity) and Leinster Rugby has a seperate registered number as a Sporting Body. The property of Leinster Rugby is held in the names of Trustees elected annually at Leinster Rugby AGM.
Very recently, the IRFU decided to establish a property holding Company to hold all of the property of the IRFU. Until that time (June 2019 I think) all of the property of the IRFU was held in the names of the four IRFU Trustees, again, annually elected at the AGM.
In strictly legal terms, each of the four Provincial bodies are "unincorpoated trusts with tax exempt status as sporting bodies". Old-fashioned but effective structures for the control and preservation of voluntary sporting bodies.
There is one very anomolous aspect of the IRFU. 20 Senior Clubs can summon an Extraordinary General Meeting of the IRFU to determine a Resolution proposed by those Clubs. However, nowhere within the IRFU Governing documents are Rugby Clubs defined as "members" of the IRFU. Go figure.
Thus notionally, the IRFU is "owned by the Clubs", but indirectly through the four Provincial structures.
Leinster Rugby is one of four Branches who are the members (Owners / Constituents) of the IRFU.
Leinster Branch is "owned" by the constituent Clubs, Sections and Affiliated Bodies (e.g. the School & Youths Committees & Referee's Assoc) within the Province. The Representatives of each of these meet monthly as the Executive Committee of Leinster Rugby. Only the AGM of Leinster Rugby has authority above the Executive Committee.
The only analogous ownership structure in professional sport is that of the Green Bay Packers which is in effect owned by a number of locally based Co-Ops and has a not-for-profit corporate structure.
Each Club in Leinster is a registered Sporting Body (akin to a charity) and Leinster Rugby has a seperate registered number as a Sporting Body. The property of Leinster Rugby is held in the names of Trustees elected annually at Leinster Rugby AGM.
Very recently, the IRFU decided to establish a property holding Company to hold all of the property of the IRFU. Until that time (June 2019 I think) all of the property of the IRFU was held in the names of the four IRFU Trustees, again, annually elected at the AGM.
In strictly legal terms, each of the four Provincial bodies are "unincorpoated trusts with tax exempt status as sporting bodies". Old-fashioned but effective structures for the control and preservation of voluntary sporting bodies.
There is one very anomolous aspect of the IRFU. 20 Senior Clubs can summon an Extraordinary General Meeting of the IRFU to determine a Resolution proposed by those Clubs. However, nowhere within the IRFU Governing documents are Rugby Clubs defined as "members" of the IRFU. Go figure.
Thus notionally, the IRFU is "owned by the Clubs", but indirectly through the four Provincial structures.
Re: Who owns Leinster?
.........on behalf of some anonymous Russian oligarchRuckedtobits wrote:Thus notionally, the IRFU is "owned by the Clubs", but indirectly through the four Provincial structures.
Re: Who owns Leinster?
The Rand Corporation, in conjunction with the saucer people, under the supervision of the reverse vampiresLogorrhea wrote:.........on behalf of some anonymous Russian oligarchRuckedtobits wrote:Thus notionally, the IRFU is "owned by the Clubs", but indirectly through the four Provincial structures.
Re: Who owns Leinster?
Wow! What a comprehensive answer. I couldn't ask for moreRuckedtobits wrote:Er.., no, Leinster is not owned by the IRFU.
Leinster Rugby is one of four Branches who are the members (Owners / Constituents) of the IRFU.
...
Thus notionally, the IRFU is "owned by the Clubs", but indirectly through the four Provincial structures.
If I can ask, do you have a legal background? Or are you involved in the structure somewhere?