OEs withdraw from Nat1

Very sad news indeed.

It is with great regret that Old Elthamians 1st XV has had to withdraw from National 1 rugby for the forthcoming 2021/22 campaign. Having worked closely with the RFU Financial Viability Group during the last month, the decision was reached on Wednesday, 4th August to pull out of the 21/22 campaign.    The club has worked tirelessly during the last 18 months to overcome the financial fallout resulting from the pandemic and the non-payment of sponsorship monies owed to the club. Although this is a very sad day for OERFC, the decision will not affect any sides below the 1st XV and the junior section, which will continue to grow and flourish.   However, it was deemed necessary by both parties to take this decision now before the season was underway.    Further announcements will be made in due course as the club continues to work with the RFU and Kent RFU.

It is hard for everyone at the moment as rent and services have to be paid and essential works need to continue if you consider fertiliser costs 30k per year so that’s 60k with no income it all adds up I’m sure we are under control at Blackheath

They have other teams, and I assume they will keep their places in the Kent structure - which may be being merged with the main pyramid next season in the coming shake-up.

As Moseley Mauler says, we will probably lose more from the loss of the home fixture that the cost of visiting OEs, and the fixed costs - like fertilizer - are not reduced by having fewer matches.

Really good point. There is no rules that says you need to pay players in this league so shouldn't be able to opt out just because they don't feel they can recruit a competitive team (Leeds completed their fixtures in Championship through loan players from Uni etc) So must be not enough finances to support travel/operational costs, which probably is not such an issue in Shield games.

While I have sympathy for supporters or players of the club I think waiting until 4 weeks before the new season to do this smacks of disrespect by the management for other clubs who will now suffer losses themselves through losing a home fixture when they have established income & expenditure budgets (for Moseley this takes out our only fixture in December, a month that usually gives largest gates due to Christmas run up). Also had they been realistic back in June then quite probably Rotherham would not now be playing National 2 rugby.

As said O.E. were Birmingham Moseley's home fixture. Certainly probably the biggest income fixture - up to 250 Xmas dining for instance. Whats a double whammy for Mose is that the income from recent/upcoming sell out guest speaker nights profits are nulified in having to meet  overheads that are always in place match or no match. As usual BMRC will face the problem and overcome