Northampton Saints bracing themselves for £1.6million loss if Premiership season can’t be completed over coronavirus
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS are bracing themselves for a £1.6million loss if the Premiership season can't be completed due to coronavirus.
But chief executive Mark Darbon believes the club are in a strong enough position to bounce back if the worst-case scenario were to happen.
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Saints are in the play-offs and have four home games left, which would bring in £400,000-a-game at a packed-out Franklin's Gardens.
But after the season was paused for five weeks following the coronavirus outbreak, Darbon said of the cash worries: "It's one of the things that is right at the top of our minds.
"But there is a shared ambition to get our competition completed - so the number of games we might play or lose will have an impact.
"We make between £300,000 to £400,000 out of each game and have four home games left.
"It's a huge concern and we are a loss-making club so a significant hit is a real challenge.
"But we are in a decent position, have a strong balance sheet and own our stadium - so we are confident that we can get through this.
"We are all working on the basis to try and get through this season, hosting our games is a much better outcome all round.
"If you offered me a place in the final now, I would take it in a heartbeat.
"We would love to find a way to bring this season to an appropriate conclusion and I think that is replicated certainly at other clubs we have spoken to."
SAINTS' FEAR
Saints have been affected by the sickness amongst their squad after one player was put in self-isolation.
Another member of the backroom staff and three more at the club are also ill, but none have tested positive for Covid-19.
Boss Chris Boyd sent all of their players home on Tuesday morning and told them to keep themselves ticking over for the next three weeks.
Darbon added: "I think Chris Boyd summed it up to me rather well. . . the skinny lads have taken home the weights and the fat lads the cardio equipment. Some will have home gyms and others will need more equipment.
"They have been unloading kit from the gym to take with them. Our facility will be closed for the next three weeks, but there is a necessity to keep players ticking over and that is what we will do.
";Also during this period we are preventing players from travelling overseas."
Meanwhile Bristol Bears chief exec Mark Tainton fears contract chaos will wreck the Premiership season.
As it stands, the league has been suspended for at least five weeks to try and reduce the risk of coronavirus spreading.
And that means that there would be just 57 days max of play to fit in - a shade under nine weeks - to play nine league matches, plus league play-offs and European finals.
We are trying to ensure we get his season finished by the 30th of June wherever possible.
Bristol Bears chief Mark Tainton
But with players' contracts only running until the end of June, clubs who have signed and released players face an extreme race against time to try and get things wrapped up.
The Bears have signed Kyle Sinckler from Harlequins on a mega £500,000-a-year contract and the England star is due to join the club with others on July 1.
And Tainton said: “We are trying to ensure we get this season finished by the 30th of June wherever possible.
"If the season does run later than that then it is something Premiership clubs and Premiership Rugby will have to seriously look at.
"Not just with players’ contracts, but with the salary cap and all those other issues we might have with the governing body.
“Their contracts then start with other clubs. It is not like we can just extend people’s contracts because they have already been done and likewise we have signed additional players for the next year whose contracts start on July 1.
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“At the moment we are in the process that games will be rescheduled, they are only postponed at the moment, so that is the line we have taken.
“We are hoping to get everything done and dusted by June where possible and that is our target at the moment.
"With contracts the majority of players’ contracts which are finishing this season, finish on the 30th of June."