|  Updated: 

Let’s make sure British sport can compete with the best beyond Brexit

By:

Sports Editor

Add as a preferred source on Google

It is often said the UK is a nation obsessed with sport. But for once sport’s hold on top spot in the public consciousness has been usurped by another national obsession: Brexit.

However, the link between Brexit and sport is far more than just a competition for public attention – Brexit poses some fundamental challenges for sport and recreation in this country.

To illustrate why, here are some statistics which might surprise you. The sport sector contributes £37bn to the UK economy every year and more than 1m people work in sport-related jobs. That makes it a key sector of the UK economy and bigger than the fishing and automotive industries, two sectors widely considered to be critical to the UK in the Brexit talks.

In addition to its size, the sector is international in its reach: the UK is home to some of global sport’s crown jewels – Wimbledon, the British Grand Prix, Royal Ascot, The Open and Test cricket – and has hosted a golden decade of mega-events including the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Rugby World Cup. These events attract world-class talent and millions of fans, many of them from the EU.

At the Sport and Recreation Alliance, which represents over 300 UK sports bodies, we’ve been working with our members and government to identify both the challenges and opportunities Brexit presents.

But ultimately much depends on what the UK government negotiates with the EU. So how might Brexit affect sport and recreation?

Cross-border movement of talent

The most obvious impact will be on the movement of people. Government has confirmed its intention to end free movement and in the longer-term tighter restrictions will likely be placed on EU nationals seeking to live and work in the UK, possibly along similar lines to those currently applied to non-EU nationals.

These changes would be felt at the elite level, where many of the UK’s most high-profile and successful sporting competitions – notably the Premier League – rely on easy access to world-class talent from the EU.

Added to this is further uncertainty over the future of the Bosman and Kolpak rulings post-Brexit. These two landmark European Court judgements mean players from the EU as well as from Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific Islands don’t count towards quotas on overseas players. Kolpak players feature heavily in domestic cricket and rugby.

But the importance of attracting talent extends well beyond the pitch. As a specific example, horse racing generates £3.5bn annually and relies on specialist skills in key roles to function effectively.

At present, there are more than 14,000 thoroughbred racehorses in training, each of which requires ridden exercise by racing grooms to bring them to full fitness for racing. Yet industry estimates suggest the sport currently has a shortfall of around 1,000 racing grooms and over 10 per cent of those working in the sector are non-UK EU nationals, including many from Ireland.

Brexit and the end of free movement will therefore exacerbate this skills shortage and, without some flexibility in future immigration rules, will act as a brake on the British horse racing industry’s ability to grow and compete internationally.

And ending free movement cuts both ways. Post-Brexit, UK nationals will likely face reciprocal restrictions when seeking to live and work in other EU countries.

This will prove challenging for seasonal sports like snow sports and sailing as many UK nationals currently work in other European countries under existing EU rules.

Importantly, this export of seasonal workers is underpinned by a system of mutual recognition which means skilled UK workers in regulated professions, such as skiing instructors, are recognised as competent to perform the same role in other EU countries.

Travelling sports fans

Brexit may also impact upon the ability of fans to travel freely across Europe to watch their favourite teams in action by adding to the cost and complexity of short-term travel.

The need for visas or other forms of pre-travel authorisation would create a huge bureaucratic headache for sports and fans alike.

And in the event of a no-deal Brexit – which could lead to flights being grounded and tighter border checks – who can say for sure what the impact will be on players and fans of British teams competing in European fixtures shortly after Brexit day on 29 March?

The quarter-finals of rugby's Champions Cup are scheduled for 29-31 March and the quarter-finals of the Uefa Champions League take place in early April.

And not only that, the UK is playing host to World Cups in both cricket and netball in summer 2019. Many teams and fans will soon be booking travel and accommodation with no certainty over what they will face come March next year.

Opportunities

But while Brexit presents several challenges, there are opportunities too. For example, should the UK diverge from existing EU state aid rules, government would have greater flexibility to introduce a levy on betting to fund sport including the grassroots. Likewise, there may be opportunities to use funds repatriated from the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy to improve access to our great outdoors.

Six tests

So, what should government being doing to help the sport and recreation sector? The Sport and Recreation Alliance has set out six tests which we believe must be met for sport and recreation to thrive beyond Brexit:

  • provide flexible immigration rules so the sector can attract the very best skills it needs to grow;

  • exploit the opportunities created by Brexit by introducing a levy on betting to provide a fair return to sport;

  • maximise the soft power of UK sport by funding elite success, bidding for major sporting events and exploiting Britain’s global sporting influence to build new international relationships;

  • keep the UK the destination of choice for sports fans and visitors by making short-term travel to and from the EU simple, cheap and easy;

  • minimise barriers to trade in sporting goods and services to keep prices for everyday sports items affordable and to enable our sports businesses to thrive;

  • enable UK sports bodies to have continued access to dedicated EU sports funding or introduce a replacement domestic scheme using repatriated funds.

And as we approach March 2019 and the prospect of a no-deal Brexit looms larger, we need government to help identify key risks to sport and recreation and put in place measures to manage the disruption which would almost certainly occur.

The sport and recreation sector is one the UK’s key assets and in many ways represents the gateway to the “global Britain” the Prime Minister has repeatedly promised.

But for British sport to be successful and help achieve this vision, government must recognise its strategic importance and make sure the outcome of the Brexit negotiations is a sector fit for the future.