Cambridge players go unpaid
Cambridge rugby players have been told they will not be paid for September until the club is stabilised.
The National League One team faces a winding up order after it was recently revealed in the press that the club owes a quarter of a million in unpaid tax fees. The club has said that players must take
a back seat for now.
"The players took it on the chin and understand the situation. We were pretty shocked when we found out the taxman had been issuing a winding-up petition. But I think people were aware that the club has
faced financial difficulties for quite some time," said Steve Bowller, who has formed a bid committee to try and raise enough funds to salvage the club.
There is a big risk that this news could have a very negative impact on the team. The club needs big players to keep squad spirit and morale high through these tough times.
Impact on the players
One month of not being paid is something that a lot of players will accept. However, club's in difficult financial positions often find it can't pay players for another month and so on.
This will have a bad impact on the morale of the players. There will be individuals that love Cambridge and don't want to play anywhere else. However, it will be hard for these players to motivate themselves
when there are no incentives.
There is also the big risk that key players in the club will choose to leave for rivals. National League One is very competitive and there are a lot of times trying to break into the Championship.
"We've had positive reaction from so many people, to the point where we have somebody on the west coast of the United States who has pledged a substantial amount of money. All we're asking is for 125 supporters
and friends of the club to give chip in. If we can do that we're out of jail," added Bowller.
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