Sunday drinking law threatens our future

THE future of local rugby could be in doubt if it loses its funding from the UK. Changes to the Sunday drinking laws have hit the Guernsey Rugby Club so hard that without more cash, it will be unable to cover travel costs for its second team.

That means it is no longer self-funding and is relying on its yearly grant from the Rugby Football Union to send its teams to away matches in the UK.

GRUFC treasurer Brian O'Mahoney is worried that it will lead to players becoming frustrated at not taking part in off-island competitions and losing interest in the sport.

Drinkers used to pay £10 a year annual subscription to the club so they could go there on a Sunday and before the law change was approved had pledged to support it.

But from the first Sunday in June that pubs were allowed to open, they have shunned it in favour of Town pubs.

It means that the GRUFC has gone from taking a minimum of £1,000 from the bar every Sunday to less than £100.

'In the summer over here people like to go outside and we have the biggest beer garden in Guernsey, but now are competing with places like the Rockmount and all the pubs in Town,' said O'Mahoney.

Although there has been no suggestion that the RFU is about to stop its grant system, the club has no other way of meeting its expenses.

Some of its £50,000-a-year turnover is normally used to cover expenses such as ground maintenance and the second team's travel costs.

O'Mahoney and fund-raiser Simon Perry will have to go cap in hand to the States for assistance unless a private sponsor steps in to help.

'Our ability to maintain ourselves has now been lost,' said Perry.

'The quirks in the law before meant that people wanted to come to us on Sundays, but now we have no way of attracting them back.'

The club's fear is that if there is not enough money to cover travelling expenses for the second team, players will become disheartened and leave for other sports and pastimes.

Perry said that the sport already lost people to other sports, particularly football, while they were at school.

With the NatWest Island Games attracting sponsors, other sports have been left out.

'The Games probably had all the money; it is not the best time to hand the hat round,' said O'Mahoney.

'Our first impact will be on the second team.'

Both men believe that the States could do more to help out sporting clubs because they attract people to the island when hosting tournaments.

'People come and spend money here, then they come back on holiday with their family and tell their friends about the island,' said Perry.

Although the first team has a sponsorship deal with R. G. Falla and is partially funded by Twickenham, the second team relies on funds made through the social club.

The first team receives £8,000 from Twickenham in order to play in the Hampshire Cup.

Last year it cost £30,000 to pay for both teams to travel to the UK and Jersey to compete.

Added to that is the £3,000 a year for pitch maintenance and another £3,200 for floodlights during training and the club desperately needs a cash injection.

It is keen for any ideas or financial help it can get, in Perry's words: 'If you have nothing, you take anything'

The club has already cut its Sunday opening hours down from midday until 8pm to midday until 3pm, but could soon keep the doors shut all day on Sundays.