Update from the Chair on Subs

Dear all

No one likes a price rise and the higher subs has created some noise in some quarters - so here is some background to the decision:

• subs hadn’t risen since 2011
• since 2011 what we spent on playing rugby per player rose by substantially over 50% to £16.50 per game
• or another view: transport and coaching went from £7,700 in 2011 to £14,000 last season and a projected £16,200 this season

To put things simply - we were heading towards a loss with no guaranteed respite. Clearly something had to change.

I have heard a couple of questions so to air them here in case you also wondered about this:

• How come we could afford buses last year but didn’t have to pay extra subs?The committee arranged the transport as an experiment and attempted this without raising any prices to cover the cost. the club absorbed the additional expense but this is not a sustainable outcome.
   
• Isn’t the only reason we have to pay more now is because of the massive loss on the annual dinner?
  No. That loss was absorbed by the club as a one-off hit. The rise in subs relates to the ongoing higher costs of running rugby teams.

We are looking urgently at alternative travel arrangements where we could borrow buses for almost no cost and drive ourselves around. If our application to join the scheme is successful the committee will review the financial projections with the view to reversing some or all of the subs increase. We will do what we can when we can. Volunteer drivers step forward to Ronan/Fisher please!

While player numbers have remained fairly steady since last season, the additional games scheduled in the new league structures mean that we are struggling to field three full squads in one weekend.

Can everyone please think if you have any friends or contacts who would like to join you at Millwall. James Gough desperately needs some recruitment help if we are to remain with a 3’s team? Contact thirdteammanager@millwallrugby.com

All the best and see you at the club

Robin Poynder
Chairman
robin@millwallrugby.com