Gold Coast Rugby clubs vow they can ride out financial storm of COVID-19

Gold Coast rugby clubs have vowed they ride out the storm of a cancelled season if Rugby Australia’s moratorium on club rugby extends further than the May 2 deadline.

Yatala Rams Junior Rugby Union Club members. Heath Tilcock, 11. Picture: Jerad Williams

Gold Coast rugby clubs have vowed they have the systems in place to ride out the storm of a cancelled season if Rugby Australia’s moratorium on club rugby extends further than the May 2 deadline.

Ruby union was among the first to shut down community competition to combat the spread of COVID-19. While that bold stance has been endorsed by copycat codes since, questions have been raised if local clubs can survive the financial hit of refunding player fees and repaying loans without an income.

“In terms of financial pressure, we’ve done things to put ourselves in a good position,” Eagles president Jason Teren said.

“Our income will be down but so will our expenses. We had to pay for rights to use the field, referees fees and other outstanding fees but we have funds to cover those.”

Nerang president Heath Claydon said his club had established a future fund to ensure their survival in an event like the coronavirus shutdown.

“If we do get stripped bare of the competition we can negotiate through this season and get on with the next,” he said. “We’re not looking down the barrel.”

Palm Beach general manager Michael Bell said the biggest consequence for his club would be losing team fitness as players are banned from training together.