‘Brexit’ Could Provide Headaches for British Sports

The full consequences of Britain’s vote to leave the European Union will take years to sort out, but sports teams are starting to prepare for a potentially rocky transition that could make it harder for them to acquire international players from elsewhere on the continent and potentially raise the cost of signing them.

In the worst case, British soccer, rugby and cricket teams would have difficulty acquiring athletes from the other 27 European Union countries, particularly younger players that many teams recruit to their academies and youth teams, if the free passage of citizens between European Union nations were curtailed. This could provide an opening for British athletes who have not…