The takeover’s threat to club independence and existing regulations may have prompted its failure but it has opened up a debate about how the game can brand and run itself better
The response of one Premiership club official to the takeover bid of the league by the private equity company CVC was succinct: the devil will be in the detail. An immediate cash injection for each side of £17m was the lure but a halving of income from central funds made the longer-term prospect look risky.
And there was the issue of control. If a private company took a 51% stake in the Premiership, it would be in charge of the group of the Premiership, effectively making it a single entity like MLS in United States football. Clubs would lose their independence and their officials who have seats on a number of decision-making bodies, such as the professional game board in England and that of the organisers of the European Champions Cup, would face being dumped. Losing control proved a step too far for the club owners this week and CVC now has to decide whether to tailor its proposal.
Related: Rugby union’s English club owners consider future direction of the sport | Robert Kitson
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