RFU warns of £10m loss after England’s poor Six Nations showing

The Rugby Football Union expects a £10m net loss in the financial year ending June 2026 after England produced their worst Six Nations campaign, the Guardian can reveal. England lost four of their five matches under Steve Borthwick to finish fifth in the table, a result the RFU described as a “hugely disappointing” competition and which reduced prize money.

The union says the Six Nations outcome has contributed to an expected underlying loss of £4m and a total net loss of £10m, down from an underlying profit of £8m and a total loss of £2m the previous year. RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said the organisation had “continued to perform in line with our plans despite significant headwinds”, and added that the financial position would have been worse without an extra autumn Test against Australia that was added last November outside the official window.

Borthwick received a qualified vote of confidence after England’s historic defeat by Italy in March and retained the RFU’s backing following a review of the Six Nations campaign. That campaign was followed by a demoralising defeat by South Africa, a thumping win against a poor Fiji side and a narrow victory over Argentina.

The RFU argued the reported £10m loss should be seen as a “continued improvement in financial performance” and pointed to a 50% increase in sponsorship revenue since 2024 as a key contributor. The union said it is poised to announce a new sponsorship deal that will place a sponsor across the back of England jerseys and claimed the arrangement will deliver the “largest sponsorship revenue in world rugby”, eclipsing France and New Zealand.

England hosted only two home Tests during this year’s Six Nations, and the RFU said the expected loss highlights the organisation’s reliance on men’s matches at Twickenham, which account for about 85% of its revenues. RFU insiders told the Guardian that a “light calendar” was a more significant factor than England’s Six Nations form in the financial outcome.

The union has submitted a planning application to Richmond council to increase the number of non-sporting events at Twickenham, seeking to allow up to eight concerts over a maximum of 15 days by 2029; the stadium is currently limited to three such events. The plans, which the RFU says will cost up to £2m, follow a setback last September when the council’s licensing committee ruled the number of events should remain at three; a decision on the current application is expected in October.

The RFU is progressing a £660m stadium overhaul but has no bank debt and will require a loan and council approval to complete the work. The union expects the financial year ending 2027 to be more prosperous, while the year ending 2028 will be the most damaging of the four‑year cycle because of costs associated with the 2027 World Cup and the inability to stage autumn internationals at Twickenham; for the year ending 2024 the RFU posted a record operating loss of £37.9m and disclosed details of Sweeney’s long‑term incentive plan that raised his salary to £1.1m and prompted a special general meeting in March 2025.