Hong Kong Rugby Union axes professional men’s 15s elite programme as Covid-19 continues to crush budgets
- The Elite Rugby Programme, comprising 30 professional athletes and five staff, will not have contracts renewed after June
- ‘Exceptional circumstances necessitated a change to our current model,’ says HKRU chairman Patrick Donovan
The Hong Kong Rugby Union will terminate its Elite Rugby Programme (ERP) – the full-time men’s 15-a-side national team set-up – after current player and staff contracts run out at the end of June.
The decision to revert to its previous semi-professional model was a reluctant but necessary one given Covid-19 and its resultant financial and logistical impact, the Union said.
This means 30 athletes, four part-time “junior ERP players” and five staff members, will not be renewed on a full-time basis when their contracts expire on June 30. They will be the final batch of players and coaches under the programme introduced in 2016.
As of Monday, all affected players and staff have been informed of the decision with assurances that they will receive compensation and help for future employment opportunities. The Union will continue to fulfil their contracts, health insurance and retirement funds until contracts expire.
The Union also said it would continue to review models on how to fund the semi-pro players-to-be in future.