With all sports across pretty much all of the globe postponed due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, a number of athletes have announced that they would take pay cuts in order to help others and keep their sports afloat.
Players across FC Barcelona's men's and women's football teams have taken cuts to their pay, and they are not the only ones to do so.
Rugby League's issue
There's no doubt in the fact that the attendances and popularity of Rugby League don't always rival that of their association football counterparts, and neither do the finances that surround the sport.
The chief executive of Rugby Football League admitted to The Guardian that the ongoing pandemic and subsequent postponement of the leagues presents a threat to many clubs:
“I don’t think we can deny there is a threat to many clubs,” he said. “All of them have different business models but they are based on having a certain amount of home games. There’s a threat, we recognise it, but there’s a bigger picture and we all have to play our part.”
It's not the only sport with financial worries lingering over teams, with Barnet FC in the National League having already declared a situation of redundancy for many of their non-playing staff, but with teams from across the globe all in one division, it presents a difficult challenge.
Bill Williams's view
Sonny Bill Williams switched codes from Union to League this summer to join the Toronto Wolfpack, after he originally left the NRL back in 2014. The deal with made him League's highest-paid player, on a two-year deal worth around £10m.
Speaking with Sky Sports this week, the Kiwi said that he would be ready to do his part to help the game stay afloat:
“100 per cent, I would be that way inclined,
“When it comes to taking pay cuts, to keep the game afloat, it would be crazy not to think that’s going to occur, especially with the way things are happening in the sporting world.
“I consider myself in a privileged position and [I am] taking a step back and understanding that sport is just a game and there are things in life that are more important.
“But in terms of sport, it is crazy to think some organisations might not make it through.”