I hope that you are all safe and well.The Board of Directors of Camborne RFC have received many queries from members asking when the clubhouse will reopen.

I am communicating to you that unfortunately the Board have no plans in place to reopen in the immediate future, although this decision is under constant review. The reasons for this are as follows: The cost of the clubhouse being open is £2000 per month.
This figure is made up of staff wages, utilities, repairs etc. This is the figure that we have to attain before any profit is generated. It is Chiefs games at home which contribute hugely towards this figure via pre and post match hospitality and sponsor’s functions. With no rugby for the foreseeable future this is obviously a big hole in our annual budget that needs to be filled.

You will have seen from the press and media that the RFU itself is in financial difficulties with the proposal to cut 150 jobs at HQ. Indeed Dave Saunter the Chair of the CRFU updated us this week to the effect that Cornwall’s rugby development officers were on notice of redundancy.

Two ways that the RFU difficulties will impinge on us is the complete withdrawal of travel assistance at our level. To put that in perspective, it costs Camborne RFC £350 to travel into Devon to play, and £450 to travel further afield. T

he RFU travel subsidy did not cover all of our travel costs last season, so if, or when, rugby at our community level restarts this figure will have to be met in it’s entirety by the club. The RFU has also cut their subsidy to the club for referee’s travel expenses by 50%.
It is incumbent on home clubs at our level to meet the referee’s travel expenses. Our closest referee qualified to officiate at our level at this time lives in Bude. So another rugby expense that the club must meet when we resume.

With the absence of rugby for the foreseeable future another unknown factor in our annual budgeting is the renewal of memberships for the 2020-21 season. There are concerns that many of you, with no rugby to watch at The Rec, will decide not to renew your membership.
Peter Galfe, our membership secretary, is in the process of getting out membership renewal forms to you, the members. I urge you that when you receive your notice please renew to help the cub through these difficult times.

I don’t want this communication to be all doom and gloom. I can assure you that the club is currently in a reasonable place financially, thanks to Peter Floyd’s fiscal planning and where we were before lockdown.

The board convene on a monthly basis via web meetings we also talk and email regularly among ourselves to discuss updates from the government and the RFU regarding restart.

We will get through this and we will be a better club for it. Camborne RFC has been a fixture of the community for 142 years and it is the board’s intention to be around for the next 142 and longer.Stay safe all.'An Gwary Ha Tra Nahen'

Andy.