It has been a tough week for Munster rugby on and off the field after news of the club’s financial losses compounded their comeptitive struggles.
Clayton MacMillan’s side went into Saturday’s clash with the Bulls in Pretoria reeling from a humiliating defeat against the Sharks.
That 45-0 humbling was followed by news of significant financial issues, with the club reportedly suffering losses in the region of €1million last season.
A voluntary redundancy scheme has also reportedly been outlined to staff members at the rugby club.
Having lost six of their last eight matches and been dumped out of the Champions Cup in the pool stages, Munster are under pressure to secure a top 8 place in the URC and return to Europe’s elite competition next season.
Recommended
It won’t be easy for the province, who have a tough run of fixtures to end the season, but benefitted from the return of its Test level stars against the Bulls.
It would turn out to be another defeat for Munster but they battled hard in a 34-31 loss to the South African side, leaving the game with two bonus-points in the bag.
Ultimately, it was the boot of Handré Pollard that proved the difference as Munster missed out on a galvanising win.
Bernard Jackman’s honest Munster warning
Munster’s off-field issues are ominous according to former Ireland international Bernard Jackman, who likened the situation to what he experienced when head coach at Grenoble in France.
Jackman warned that failure on the field could have further consequences for the off-field woes – something which is an extra burden on a team that has lost senior personnel in recent seasons.
They are saying the pro team is protected (from redundancies) but you are all wearing the same badge,” he remarked on Premier Sports.
“This is a young Munster team that carries the weight of expectation and to miss out on Top 8 could lead to more job losses.
“That is a lot of pressure and it is going to take a huge amount of character. It is not a nice situation to be in.
“When I was in Grenoble our sugardaddy passed away and everyone said it is going to be okay and the next thing they said is they were knocking €3million off the budget.
“Players were asked to take a 10 percent paycut and they refused and it caused chaos… some players realised if they went somewhere else they could get a 20 percent payrise. So it split the whole thing.
“I am not saying Munster are at that stage yet but it is a tricky time for the province.”
Munster are sixth in the URC standings at the time of writing but remain under pressure to land a top 8 place with pressure coming from those around them.
They have huge interpro clashes with Ulster and Connacht in the near future before battling the Lions as they hope to eek out a quarter-final place and secure a Champions Cup return in the process.
SEE MORE: Ireland Star Reveals Paul O’Connell Won’t Give Go Ahead On Position Switch