Record profit for Rugby Union

Press, 9 February 1983, Page 46

Record profit for Rugby Union

Small of stature he might be, but the treasurer of the Canterbury Rugby Union, Mr lan Allott. should have no trouble standing tall when he presents his financial report to the annual meeting of the union later this month.

For the year ending October 31 last," the union made a profit of $133,946. This is easily a record. The surplus of $29,388 in 1981 was on about a par with the previous best years, the Ranfurly Shield holding ones in the early 19505. From the profit, $42,000 has been transferred to reserve accounts, $37,000 to the ground and building fund and $5OOO to a tours fund. This leaves the audited excess at $91,946.

It is, of course, possession of the Ranfurly Shield which has once again put Canterbury well and truly in the black, after some difficult years when it more than once slipped into the red.

However, while the two shield matches at the end of last winter greatly enriched the gravy, the union would still have had a good year without them.

The representative match receipts came to $107,369, a big jump from the $19,390 of the previous season. Mr Al-

lott said yesterday that long before Canterbury got its handson the shield the receipts were well above budget, in the cases of the Waikato and Otago games more than double the estimates. '

“In fact, before the two shield games the Waikato game was the biggest Saturday gate and the Otago the biggest midweek gate in our history. But the shield games set new highs, something like $60,000 net for the first challenge by Counties and $30,000 for the midweek WairarapaBush challenge,” said Mr Allott.

The union also had other valuable avenues of income last season. Club receipts doubled from $7022 to $14,368, although there was an extra $5224 in 1981 through having the C.S.B. Trophy final played at the union’s own ground, Rugby Park.

Canterbury’s early season game against Queensland brought in $12,424 and Canterbury’s share of the gate from the first test against Australia was, at $23,311, only $l4OO less than it realised from the Springbok test in 1981.

The flow of money through the union’s hands last year is clearly reflected in its investments. These now total $283,000, ■ compared with $40,000 12 months ago. The good crowds at Lancaster Park have also enabled the Victory Park Board to reduce its loan to the union from $145,000 to $68,000. Costs were well held. Administration rose by just under $2OOO to $26,226, representative team expenses by $lOOO to $23,788 and playing costs by just over $5OOO to $33,769.

The union's total expenditure was $113,562. an increase of $BOOO.

There was a loss of almost $2OOO on Rugby Park, but according to Mr Allott this was better than had been expected, given that the ground was without a covered stand and that $7409 had to be spent on temporary repairs.

While naturally delighted with the result, Mr Allott said that the surplus only made it possible for the union to meet its capital commitments. “I hate to think of the situation we would have been in if we had not had such a good year, and, more especially, not won the shield."

He said that about $120,000 would be needed to meet the development of Rugby Park, and this was in addition to the insurance cover on the gutted stand. The union also faced another big outlay in new offices it intends to build at Lancaster Park.

"The money made last year was urgently needed to meet essential capital costs. If we are fortunate enough to do as well again this season then we will be able to look more towards investment and the well-being of Canterbury rugby will be assured for the next decade,” said Mr Allott.