Insurance cover for Lions
2005-04-08 17:00
London - Rugby officials insisted here on Friday that players on the forthcoming British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand would be found cover after reports suggested they could not afford the cost of insuring injury-prone stars such as England's Jonny Wilkinson.
Following discussions between Premier Rugby, the umbrella body representing all of England's 12 top-flight clubs and John Feehan, the Lions chief executive, the two organisations issued the following joint statement:
"There have been a number of misleading articles in the media in the last couple of days concerning player insurance and that of Jonny Wilkinson in particular.
"Whilst we do not wish to make comment on any individual player, we do not believe any player is uninsurable.
"The regulations laid down by the Lions Committee are quite clear. No player will travel without insurance.
"Those not eligible for insurance due to a pre-existing injury will be found alternative cover, or an agreement will be reached with the player to ensure any potential loss is underwritten."
Flyhalf Wilkinson is currently out with a knee problem and various injuries have meant he has not played international rugby since landing the drop-goal that won the 2003 World Cup final.
However with Lions coach Clive Woodward due to name a 44-man squad on Monday, it is possible that Wilkinson could be included in the party to face the All Blacks.
Huge insurance pay-out
Wilkinson earns an estimated £6m a year and that could lead to the Lions facing a huge insurance pay-out for loss of earnings were he to suffer a major injury against the All Blacks.
The medical insurance bill for the 44-man squad is expected to come to around £700 000 and as the Lions only generate funds before their four-yearly tours they have limited funds available.
Thursday's London Evening Standard quoted Feehan as saying: "We will not insure Jonny Wilkinson's knee. It would not be good business sense to put the whole organisation at risk. We will be as fair as we can in helping individual players with cover but we don't have an open-ended chequebook."
The Lions play the first of three Tests against New Zealand on June 25 at Christchurch with the second match at Wellington on July 2 before the series concludes at Auckland on July 9.