Capacity cuts hit sports clubs

PARIS • The French government has become the latest administration to impose limits on attendances at public events in a bid to combat the Omicron variant, inflicting yet more financial pain on professional sports leagues and competitions.

Crowds will be restricted to 5,000 outdoors and 2,000 indoors for three weeks beginning on Monday.

It is a measure Pierre Venayre, director-general of European Champions Cup finalists La Rochelle, described as a "massive blow to professional rugby".

France President Emmanuel Macron has also announced that full, double-vaccinations will be mandatory for pro athletes in the country from Jan 15 under the country's revised Covid-19 rules. A decision will also be taken "within days" on whether the rule will apply to non-French sportspeople or teams competing in France.

There could be major implications for unvaccinated foreign athletes travelling to the country for major sporting events, with France hosting the French Open tennis Grand Slam, cycling's Tour de France, Champions League football games and Six Nations rugby contests, among others in the coming months.

Sporting competitions globally have already been taking a hit with increasing postponements of matches due to positive Covid-19 tests. Lost revenue from postponed games can at least be recouped at a later date when they are finally played.

However, for those which take place in front of reduced crowds there is no making up their losses unless governments come up with compensation packages.

French fourth-division side Vannes had been looking forward to a financial bonanza in hosting Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in the French Cup next Monday.

Now their dreams have been shattered as their 9,600 sell-out crowd has been reduced to 5,000, resulting in a loss of €250,000 (S$382,500) in revenue, according to their president Maxime Ray.

"We are missing out on what is a fortune to us," he said.

While the French government mulls over a compensation package, the Welsh administration has put one in place following their ban on crowds at all indoor and outdoor events from Boxing Day.

Minister for the Economy Vaughan Gething has announced a £3 million (S$5.5 million) spectator sports fund will be available to support clubs affected by the loss of revenue.

However, for Welsh rugby clubs, that will not make up for the losses of having no spectators at all.

The Scarlets and Cardiff Blues are already licking their wounds over a loss of £250,000 each due to their recent trip to South Africa, where their matches were postponed owing to Covid-19.

With both of them due to play fellow Welsh opposition on Saturday - normally a money spinner as the festive period is when they can expect packed stadiums - in the United Rugby Championship, they are preparing for further losses.

"The commercial impacts to all of us as clubs is catastrophic without significant further support," said Scarlets chairman Simon Muderack.

For Irish rugby too, the scenario is bleak with the government having imposed capacity for outdoor venues to 50 per cent or 5,000 people - whichever figure is lower - and will remain in place till Jan 30.

"It would tip us under and put us in difficulty again," former Irish Rugby Football Union chief executive Philip Browne said.

The enhanced rules have not gone down well in other countries. After the Greek government ordered new measures to come into force next Monday with stadiums permitted to have just 10 per cent of full capacity for at least a fortnight, the Greek Super League voted unanimously against the plans on Tuesday.

The country's major football clubs, including Olympiakos, said: "The Super League estimates that the 10 per cent limit is tantamount to absolute closure of the stadiums."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE