英ラグビー協会、対人距離規則の緩和求める　収入に１７億円の差

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】イングランドラグビー協会（ＲＦＵ）は６日、１１月のテストマッチシリーズまでにソーシャル・ディスタンシング（対人距離の確保）のルールが緩和されていれば、観客増による１２００万ポンド（約１６億７０００万円）の収入アップが見込めると話し、英政府に検討を求めた。
（写真は資料写真）
　英国では現在、新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を防ぐ手段の一つとして、公共の場では人との距離を２メートル以上空けることが強く推奨されている。
　しかしＲＦＵのビル・スウィーニー最高経営責任者（ＣＥＯ）は、それが周囲に１メートルの空間があればいいということに変われば、収容人数８万人の代表のホーム、トゥイッケナム・スタジアムに入れる人数も劇的に増加すると話した。
　「距離を２メートル空けるには、周囲に４メートルの安全な空間が必要になる」「これが仮に周囲１メートルであれば、キャパシティーは４倍になる」
　「８万人のスタジアムで２メートルのルールを適用し、他の人をすり抜けたり、触れたりせずにトイレを使うための人の流れなどを考慮すると、入れられる人数は９０００～９５００人にまで減る」
　「こんなに少なくなるとは思っていなかったから驚いた。これが世界保健機関（ＷＨＯ）の指針にある１メートルになれば、（観客は）４万人近くなるし、秋にはそういう状況になっていてほしい」
　スウィーニー氏は、観客増のために安全面を軽視するつもりも、政府の規制に逆らうつもりもないと強調しつつ、「２メートル空けることが絶対に必要なのか、それとも１メートルでも構わないのかをはっきりさせてほしい」と話した。
　イングランドはニュージーランド、アルゼンチン、トンガ、オーストラリアと対戦する１１月のホーム４試合を予定通り開催したいと考えている。
　観客同士の距離が２メートルか１メートルかで、経済的にはどれほどの違いがあるのかという問いに対し、ＣＥＯは「対戦相手とチケット価格次第だ」「おそらく１試合３００万ポンド（約４億１６００万円）くらいだろう。それに屋外であれば売店も営業できると信じている」と答えた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/06/08-13:02）

The Rugby Football Union has urged the British government to relax its rules on social distancing, calculating such a move be worth ��12 million ($15 million, 13 million euros) to England's governing body if crowds are allowed back into Twickenham for the November internationals.
Britain is currently insisting on a two-metre gap in public as one of a set of measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
But RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said opting for a one-metre space instead would have a dramatic effect on the numbers allowed into Twickenham, a ground with an 80,000 capacity.
If you are using two metres, you are talking about a four-metre distanced safe space, he said. With one, it is one metre all round which has the effect of increasing capacity fourfold.
- 'Surprised' -
If you use two metres in an 80,000-seater stadium and factor in traffic flow, such as someone wanting to use the toilet without going past someone and touching them, it reduces your capacity to between 9,000 and 9,500.
I was surprised, not thinking it would be that low. With one metre, which is the World Health Organization's guidance, you get close to 40,000, and we would like it to come down to that by the autumn.
Sweeney stressed the RFU would not compromise safety in favour of larger crowds or go against UK government regulations but officials wanted clarity on whether the two-metre rule is absolutely essential or is one metre possible.
England still hope to play their scheduled November matches at home to New Zealand, Argentina, Tonga and Australia.
Asked what the financial difference would be in terms of a two-metre as opposed to a one-metre gap between seats, Sweeney replied: It depends on who you have coming and ticket pricing.
It is probably worth in the region of ��3 million a game and I believe we would be able to open catering facilities, as long as they were out of doors.
Sweeney has insisted all options are on the table, be it moving the Six Nations or pushing back the dates of next year's British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa as talks continue over how best to reshape the professional game worldwide.
He added the uncertainty facing the sport lay behind the RFU's decision to vote in favour of re-electing former England captain Bill Beaumont as chairman of World Rugby rather than back rival candidate Agustin Pichot of Argentina, even though their manifestos were virtually identical.
The way it was pitched was that Bill Beaumont represented the establishment and the traditional, fixed way of doing things and Gus Pichot represented the fresher, younger more innovative approach, said Sweeney.
We felt going into this period of change, and there will be change, having a degree of stability would help change; sometimes you do not want too much change to manage change.