Force confident on the financial front
Western Force are confident their poor season will not derail plans to return the club’s balance sheet to the black next year.
Hopes for a first finals appearance after last year’s best season have been dashed with only two wins from 12 Super Rugby matches but chief executive Mark Sinderberry, who is set to extend his tenure, said careful planning had kept the organisation on target.
“It’s no great surprise that we’re down on our revenue numbers but we are still on track for the 2016 return to profitability,” Sinderberry said.
“On-field performance has an impact, that’s the nature of professional sport, but we knew this year would be a particularly difficult one financially.
“We’ve known this was coming. We’re right in the middle of what we anticipated to be the most difficult period.
“Next year will get significantly better because of the new broadcast arrangement.”
Sinderberry arrived at the Force in 2013 with a high level of sporting experience. He was the Brumbies’ inaugural chief executive and in 2003 was recruited by English club Saracens, managing the sale of the club to South African investors. He has stamped his mark and overseen a restructure of RugbyWA, the Force umbrella body. There has been a 4 per cent cut in costs each year but he is not expecting similar reductions in the year ahead.
“We’ve been very diligent in making sure we continue the development of the game,” Sinderberry said.
“We’ve been very careful to try and protect the resources around the team in particular.
“From players, coaches and administrators, we’ve all had to take a big step back, look at it and say what have we got right, what have we got wrong and how do we make sure we’re in a better position going into next year.”
The Force posted financial losses of $649,000 last year, $857,000 in 2013 and $271,000 in 2012.
“This organisation has stood alone for 10 years and it is not like we are a long way off being profitable,” Sinderberry said.
All Black Ben Smith is expected to play his 100th game for the Highlanders on Saturday night when they take on the Force at nib Stadium.
And Super Rugby’s leading try scorer this season, winger Waisake Naholo, is expected to return from the heel injury which kept him out last week.
