England Rugby Clubs May Face Bankruptcy Without Fans

(Bloomberg) --

Without fans sitting in stadiums, the biggest rugby union clubs in England risk going bankrupt, the Financial Times reported.

The sport has largely been played without spectators since it restarted in August and the financial losses are stacking up, Darren Childs, chief executive officer of Premiership Rugby, told the newspaper.

Childs said that the U.K. government must come up with a “pragmatic solution” to open up stadiums so they can benefit from ticket sales.

“It’s becoming increasingly more alarming, the longer it goes on,” Childs said in the interview. “We’re not expecting to open up every seat, but just getting some back in will help to alleviate some of the financial downside .”

Last season only one team - the Exeter Chiefs - in the top tier of English rugby union made a profit, the newspaper reported.

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