£300m winter survival package confirmed for spectator sports in England

Government cash injection will benefit 11 sports including rugby union, rugby league, football and horseracing

There were no fans at Twickenham to see Exeter Chiefs beat Wasps 19-13 in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final in October
There were no fans at Twickenham to see Exeter Chiefs beat Wasps 19-13 in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final in October 
(Image credit: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)

Major spectator sports in England have been given a winter lifeline after the government pledged £300m in funding.

In an announcement today the government confirmed that £300m will be given to 11 spectator sports in England, including rugby union (£135m), horseracing (£40m) and rugby league (£12m).

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Football also gets £28m, but not clubs in the Premier League or the English Football League, BBC Sport reports. The National League (steps 1-2) receives £11m on top of £10m National Lottery funding, steps 3-6 get £14m, and women’s football has been allocated £3m.

A statement on the Gov.uk website said the funding will be “largely composed of loans” and is the “most generous of any government for its domestic sport sector in the world”.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: “Sports clubs are the beating hearts of their communities, and this £300m boost will help them survive this difficult winter period.

“We promised to stand by sports when we had to postpone fans returning. We are doing just that by delivering another £300m on top of existing business support schemes.

“Britain is a sports powerhouse, and this government will do everything we can to help our precious sports and clubs make it through Covid.”

Earlier this year the government stepped in to protect rugby league with £16m in emergency loans, and in October announced that £100m would be provided to support council-run leisure centres most in need. Sport England announced a £220m emergency fund for grassroots clubs in April.

Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of Sport England, said: “These are unprecedented times for our sector, and those sports and leagues that rely so heavily on spectators for their income that have been especially impacted by the pandemic.

“The role they play in their local communities is vital and this package of support from government will be hugely welcomed.”

Breakdown of funding by sport

Rugby union: £135m

  • Rugby Football Union: £44m
  • Premiership Rugby clubs: £59m
  • Championship Rugby clubs: £9m
  • Rugby clubs below Championship: £23m

Horseracing: £40m

  • Racecourses: £40m

Football: £28m

  • National League (steps 1-2): £11m. This follows the announcement that National League clubs at steps 1-2 would receive £10m National Lottery funding to keep them afloat up to the end of 2020, following a deal brokered by the government
  • National League (steps 3-6): £14m
  • Women’s football (Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship): £3m

Rugby league: £12m

  • Rugby Football League: £12m. This will be delivered as a top-up to the existing £16m government loan scheme announced in May

Motorsport: £6m

  • Owners/operators of major circuits (Silverstone, Goodwood, The British Automobile Racing Club, MotorSport Vision): £6m

Tennis: £5m

  • Lawn Tennis Association: £5m

Netball: £4m

  • England Netball: £2m
  • Super League Netball: £2m

Basketball: £4m

  • Basketball England: £1m
  • British Basketball League clubs (including Women’s British Basketball League clubs): £3m

Ice Hockey: £4m

  • Elite League: £4m

Badminton: £2m

  • Badminton England: £2m

Greyhound racing: £1m

  • Greyhound Board of Great Britain: £1m
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Mike Starling is the former digital features editor at The Week. He started his career in 2001 in Gloucestershire as a sports reporter and sub-editor and has held various roles as a writer and editor at news, travel and B2B publications. He has spoken at a number of sports business conferences and also worked as a consultant creating sports travel content for tourism boards. International experience includes spells living and working in Dubai, UAE; Brisbane, Australia; and Beirut, Lebanon.