Munster Rugby chief executive Ian Flanagan feels the province is in "reasonable shape" despite the "huge challenges" posed by pandemic.
Games are set to be held behind closed doors when the PRO14 campaign resumes in late August and Flanagan says matches without spectators in attendance will continue to hit the pockets of the provinces:
"The financial challenges are extensive," the former Leicester executive told Munster's "The Crooked Feed" podcast. "Match-day income from ticketing, hospitality, merchandise has stopped dead since our last game at Thomond Park.
"The IRFU model is slightly different, in that their broadcast deals represent proportionately a bigger slice of the overall revenue. If the Six Nations outstanding games - the Italy game specifically - if and when that gets replayed and even if it's behind closed doors which is the model on the table at the moment, it will still deliver revenue for the IRFU through broadcasting deals and the Six Nations end-of-year competition dividend."
"When we get back to playing games behind closed doors it's a step on the road back to normal, but it's nowhere near revenues as normal because at Munster we absolutely need to be playing games in front of our supporters for that to happen."
"I don't think any business in the world can adjust naturally or easily when virtually all of its revenue is just stopped dead overnight for an indefinite period of time."
Everyone’s in the Team Of Us.
Vodafone. The Official Sponsor of the Irish Rugby Team.
