The IRFU has around 214 clubs and 254 schools catering for a total playing population of around 79,000. It fields four professional teams at provincial level, employing directly 120 full-time professional players, as well as a further 38 players under academy bursary contract. In terms of wages alone, this is clearly a heavy financial burden which has to be met from the IRFU's funds, unlike soccer, where the weekly wages of the professional players are paid by the clubs, not the governing body. It is clear that the IRFU is faced with a difficult situation. Rugby in Connacht has expanded and improved greatly in recent years, with a growing number of players involved and an increasing number of schools now playing the game.