The RFU 'set to cut workforce by 25% with 139 jobs at risk and projected losses of up to £107M'

England’s quest for World Cup glory in 2023 could be hampered by savage cost-cutting at the RFU, after the union confirmed plans on Monday to shed a quarter of its workforce. 

Chief executive Bill Sweeney revealed that the Twickenham hierarchy are budgeting for short-term losses of £107million and expect that it will take four or five years to recover from the negative impact of the coronavirus shut-down.  

Faced with a 20 per cent reduction in cumulative revenue, the RFU have launched a consultation phase with a view to removing 139 of the current 580 members of staff. 

At this stage, there is no clarity about which areas of the organisation will be most severely hit by the cuts, but the elite game will not be immune.

When the last major round of redundancies took place in 2018, the senior England’s men set-up escaped more or less unscathed, but that may not happen again.

Sweeney confirmed last month that the RFU are in talks about a new contract for Test players, who are expected to see their world-beating fees of £25,000 per match reduced in line with the wider budget measures.

In the immediate aftermath of the World Cup, Sweeney claimed that the funding levels for the national team would ‘definitely’ be maintained for the next four-year cycle, but the coronavirus pandemic has forced a drastic shift in planning.

England have always benefited from being backed by the world’s richest union, ensuring that Eddie Jones, his assistants, staff and players have unsurpassed facilities and support from a raft of expert consultants. However, the RFU will have to reduce the spending in those areas or face accusations of sacrificing the community game in order to drive the crusade for global glory. 

Meanwhile, Leicester’s mini-exodus has begun in earnest, with Tonga full back Telusa Veainu agreeing a deal to join Stade Francais in Paris.

The 29-year-old, whose outstanding contributions for the Tigers earned him the RPA’s Players’ Player of the Year award in 2018, was one of five players who refused to sign a contract extension on reduced terms to stay at Welford Road. He was ‘stood down’ last week.

Veainu’s next-door neighbour, England centre Manu Tuilagi, is another of those destined to find another club in the near future. He is thought to be a target for Sale and Bristol, and there has also been interest from France and Japan — although moving abroad would make him unavailable for Test selection.

Elsewhere, England-qualified Auckland Blues No 8 Hoskins Sotutu has signed a new deal which will keep him with the franchise until 2022. His decision follows an eye-catching start to the Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign and will swiftly end speculation that the 21-year-old with an English mother might pledge allegiance to the Red Rose. Instead, he appears destined for a call-up by the All Blacks.

Gloucester are expected to confirm the departure of coach Rory Teague, who had been regarded as a favourite to take charge of the West Country side before George Skivington was recruited from London Irish to fill the head coach role.