After the first real step forward represented by the formal signing of the “Rugby League”, the body that will represent the top championship of Serie A Elitethe 10 clubs have sent a letter to the President of the Italian Rugby Federation Marzio Innocenti bringing to attention a series of points, we summarize the three most important ones reported in the press release.
The requests of the Serie A Elite Rugby League
Exceptions:
The League is asking for a derogation to be granted, at least for the 2024-2025 season, for the use of the sports facilities currently in use. As is known, several clubs do not have facilities that meet the requirements of the regulation, such as a covered grandstand, dedicated anti-doping rooms, press room, etc.
FIR Contributions:
The League requests more details on the methods and times of disbursement of the annual federal contribution which is due to the 10 clubs in the top division.
TV and TMO:
The League asks to address together with FIR the critical issues underlying the television coverage of the championship matches and the methods of use of the TMO.
Below is the press release from the Rugby League:
Bologna 28.06.2024
Illustrious President,
the undersigned companies participating in the Elite Series A championship have given impetus to the establishment of an association that will represent the single body that will be responsible for representing the clubs towards the FIR and the main stakeholders, once the affiliation phase has been completed in accordance with the federal regulations.
In order to be able to effectively implement the above mentioned fulfillment, we are proceeding to articulate an adequate organization that can fully correspond to the federal wishes, in terms of adequate representation capacity.
The initiative aims to give rise to a unitary reference capable of constituting a suitable entity to collaborate profitably with the Federation, expressing a shared position on the issues that will be necessary to debate, to pursue the objectives that you have indicated, since your inauguration, of overall growth of our movement and, therefore, of sustainable development that affects the entire movement, starting from the clubs that participate in the first domestic championship.
The clubs’ hope is to be able to collaborate with a renewed spirit of cooperation, aimed at improving the movement as a whole.
In this regard, it has been hypothesized that the newly formed Association, once affiliated to the FIR, will have to provide, first of all, to implement the preparation of a multi-year planning, aimed, also through mutualistic models, at the overall improvement and adaptation of the facilities intended for carrying out the activities.
This ambitious objective requires a commitment spread over a medium-term period, as it cannot be assumed that the critical issues underlying the systems can be resolved immediately.
This is all the more true in light of the circumstance, well known to you, due to your direct knowledge as a club manager and President of the Veneto Committee, that most of the companies, except for a few isolated virtuous cases, do not own the facilities but enjoy concessions granted to them by the municipal administrations. This evidently requires, prior to the implementation of any investment, a series of formal steps that are certainly not easy in the immediate future and that require in-depth investigations, including investigative ones, by the Authorities.
Precisely for this reason, a multi-year programming framework has been hypothesized, to be shared with the FIR.
In this perspective, it is essential that the Federation, in order to allow the correct running of the next championship, give assurances to all clubs that need it, that they will be granted the exemption, at least for the 2024-2025 season, to use the facilities currently in use also for the purpose of avoiding unequal treatment between those who have already obtained such exemption and those who, instead, need to acquire it; this confirms the consideration that the intention is to start an initial program of improvement of the facilities starting from the 2025-2026 championship.
A further issue, not secondary for the purposes of correct planning, concerns the methods and times of disbursement of the federal contribution in favor of the clubs participating in the Serie A Elite championship.
Although it is clear that all clubs have given impetus to the planning of the competitive season, despite the absence of specific indications regarding the timing of the disbursement of the federal contribution, you will understand that there is a need to have a planning framework that is as close to reality as possible.
It would therefore be necessary that, before the deadline of 10 July, reassurances are offered regarding the exemptions that the FIR must grant in relation to the use of the facilities and indications are also given regarding the timing of disbursement of the federal contribution.
Together with the issues summarized above, the critical issues underlying the television broadcasting of championship matches and the methods of use of the TMO, which have been discussed on several occasions, should also be addressed. Finally, during our debate, an overall preference emerged for championship matches to be played on Saturdays, with the possible exception of the match which, for television broadcasting needs, could be scheduled on Sundays; this is also to guarantee our Clubs the presence of youth athletes and their fans, whose championships essentially take place on Sundays.
The various critical issues summarized above should be clarified promptly, precisely to allow adequate programming, resulting in the intention of the undersigned companies to study, as far as possible, such solutions, even common ones, so that the television broadcast can be effectively appreciated even by those who can get close to our sport and, therefore, constitute an effective opportunity for adequate representation of our movement, even beyond the fans.
The undersigned deem it useful, therefore, not only to express the needs summarized above in terms of exemption and disbursement of federal contributions, but also to represent a renewed spirit of cohesion aimed at correct interlocution with the Federation so that we can work together for the best development of our movement
We are waiting for your feedback.
Sincerely
