Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam said Premiership Rugby clubs may struggle to recover from the financial hit of losing match day revenue in the event of another Covid-19 lockdown.
Lam said Bristol lost about £300,000 in revenue after Scarlets forfeited their Champions Cup tie due to a Covid-19 outbreak.
Asked if the Premiership could survive another lockdown, Lam told British media: “I don't think so ... I don't mean to be all doom and gloom, but this is not as cosy as people think.
“People look at us and think, ‘They have got (owner) Steve Lansdown, a billionaire’, but what people tend to forget is we don’t have what Steve is worth.
“Professional rugby is a great game, but the reality is there are a lot of wealthy people who are losing money. I am pretty sure PRL (Premiership Rugby Ltd) will be talking to the government.”
Lam also pointed to the decision by the Premier League, England’s top-flight soccer league, to continue playing over the festive period despite 10 games being postponed due to Covid-19.
The Premier League reported a record 90 new Covid-19 cases among players and staff in the past week, while Premiership Rugby said on Friday it recorded a season-high 54 cases.
Reuters
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