Private equity emerges as Rugby Australia's last shot at survival as a major sport | Bret Harris

The broadcast agreement announced this week was only the entrée before the main course that is the next deal from 2021 to 2025Fans are allowing themselves to get excited about a resumption of play after Rugby Australia and Fox Sports announced they had reached an agreement on a “revised” broadcast deal to show the new Super Rugby competition, involving the four franchises plus the Western Force, starting on 3 July.But the financial future of the game remains uncertain and in the apparent absence of a lucrative deal, private equity has emerged as the last great hope for rugby to remain a major …