Sports suffering from the absence of spectators due to the coronavirus pandemic are set to receive a combined £300million as part of the Government’s ‘Winter Survival Package’.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the state support for the sector in greater detail.
Which sports have been included?
Eleven in total – rugby union, horse racing, football, rugby league, motorsport, tennis, netball, basketball, ice hockey, badminton and greyhound racing.
Sports minister Nigel Huddleston estimated the money would be made up of £250million in loans at very favourable rates, with payment holidays built in for the initial period, and £50m in grants.
Only £241m of the money has been provisionally allocated, with the remainder being kept as a contingency pot to tackle unforeseen pressures.
Who will get what?
Rugby union stands to receive the largest amount of any sport – £135m to be split between the governing body the Rugby Football Union and then clubs at Premiership level, Championship level and below.
Football clubs from the National League down to step six of the men’s pyramid will receive emergency support, as will the Women’s Super League and Championship. Racecourses are due to receive £40m.
Why has the Government offered this emergency support?
The devolved administrations will make their own decisions on how to support the sports sector in those countries. The administrations have been provided guarantees of increases to their budget by the UK Government to support their responses to Covid-19.
