Sport England will be \u201ccrawling all over the Rugby Football League\u201d from now on following the recent structural overhaul at the governing body.<\/p>\n
That is the view of Richard Cramer, a leading sports lawyer who compared the chaos to the \u201cWild West\u201d and branded it a \u201cflirtation with danger\u201d.<\/p>\n
The RFL has been asked to produce an action plan detailing how it will comply with Sport England\u2019s Code for Sports Governance, with critical funding for the sport due to be released next month remaining in the balance.<\/p>\n
Sport England has reportedly threatened to withhold the next instalment of a \u00a316million funding package as a result of concerns over the RFL\u2019s governance.<\/p>\n
During a turbulent few months for the RFL the chair, Simon Johnson, and several other directors resigned from the board. That was followed by the return of the former chief executive Nigel Wood, initially as interim chair and now as senior executive director.<\/p>\n
Sport England reportedly has concerns about whether the process which led to Wood\u2019s return complied with the governance code and, during a meeting on Tuesday with the RFL, demanded assurances that the league will do so in future.<\/p>\n
Leeds-based Cramer, of Arch Law, told Love Rugby League: \u201cThe problem for rugby league is that \u2013 with the huge drop in the last broadcast deal \u2013 it\u2019s so reliant on Sport England funding.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have clearly been major concerns from Sport England over the constitutional structure of the RFL on the back of the recent changes made to the board.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt felt like the RFL thought \u2018right, we\u2019ll boot out the old board, bring in a new regime and then worry about how Sport England might feel about it later\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cSport England are crawling all over the governing body and will not allow conflicts of interest to arise because there are very strict rules in place. A well-structured, disciplined organisation would have spoken to Sport England to check what their views were on it first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Crucially, Cramer believes the RFL will survive any financial penalty but warned their conduct will now be scrutinised by Sport England more closely than ever.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIt appears that the RFL have survived any penalties against them by the skin of their teeth \u2013 although they\u2019re not quite there yet. But that will be predicated on the basis that the RFL have given undertakings to get their act together \u2013 so they\u2019ve had a reprieve.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere have probably been some very strong promises given to Sport England because the RFL simply dare not commit any breach of their rules and obligations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s dangerous because the game is always struggling for funding anyway, but they may just have got away with this. But should a governing body even be in that position? It shouldn\u2019t really.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got to look at all the dynamics of who\u2019s coming onto the board and ensure they all clean and healthy without any conflicts hanging over their heads.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt does feel like the Wild West a little bit and a case of \u2018we\u2019ll abide by the rules as we go along\u2019. But when you\u2019re relying very heavily on Sport England funding, you\u2019re flirting with danger.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile they may just get away with this, Sport England will be watching over the RFL closely and what goes on there from now on will be heavily policed.\u201d<\/p>\n
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