- England have struggled in 2024, losing their last five matches in a row
- The RFU are now expected to announce an annual loss of up to £40m
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) are reportedly set to make a record annual loss that could rise to £40m.
The governing body is due to publish its end-of-year accounts next month, and losses are expected to be significantly higher than the previous record mark of £30.9m posted back in 2018, according to The Telegraph.
On that occasion, chief executive Steve Brown resigned from his position just 12 months out from the 2019 World Cup in Japan.
England went on to make the final of that tournament under Eddie Jones before losing 32-12 to South Africa.
The final figure this time around covers last year’s World Cup when England did not play any autumn internationals at home due to the global tournament taking place.
However, they did play three Six Nations matches at Twickenham earlier this year, while they will only play two at home in 2025.
The RFU are believed to plan their finances in four-year cycles around men’s World Cups, and the final year – in this case 2024 – is expected to be loss-making due to fewer home matches leading to reduced revenue.
The RFU will reportedly announce an annual loss of up to £40m next month, increasing the pressure on chief executive Bill Sweeney (pictured)
England have also struggled on the pitch this year, losing their last five matches under Steve Borthwick
Jamie George’s side have suffered narrow defeats against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in the autumn internationals
However, the latest accounts are still expected to pile the pressure on chief executive Bill Sweeney, five years on from replacing Brown at the helm of English rugby.
Results have also been disappointing on the pitch, with England losing their last five matches under Steve Borthwick.
They are set to play their final game of 2024 on Sunday when they host Japan, but even a victory would only be their fifth in 12 outings this calendar year.
Mail Sport reported earlier this week that Borthwick and RFU bosses will miss out on significant annual bonuses for failing to meet in-house targets.
This comes after a poor run of results with England losing all three of their autumn internationals to date against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
Borthwick has insisted he is still the right man for the job, but patience is wearing thin among England fans after a series of narrow defeats.
Meanwhile, RFU bosses are due to gather at a council meeting next Monday where the financial losses are likely to be a topic of conversation.
However, a source told The Telegraph that the RFU insist they remain in a strong financial position with no debt to pay off.