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Rugby Australia announces major pay increase for Super Rugby players

9th January, 2018
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Hallelujah, Israel Folau is back where he belongs (AAP Image/David Moir)
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9th January, 2018
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2017 was a tumultuous year for rugby union in Australia, but 2018 has started off on a positive foot with Rugby Australia announcing a pay increase for Super Rugby players on Wednesday morning in their new collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

Under the new CBA, players will continue to earn a 29 per cent share of the professional game’s total revenue under a continuing revenue sharing model.

The deal, which comes into effect immediately, will see the four remaining Super Rugby teams – the Waratahs, Reds, Brumbies and Rebels – have their squad sizes increased by five and an overall pay increase of around ten per cent.

The pay increase means contracts will average out at $225,000 in 2018, which is a big win for rugby players in Australia after the previous average sat at under $200,000.

It means the Super Rugby salary cap increases to $5.5 million, with a 15 per cent discount built in to reward long-serving players.

Teams will be permitted to sign between 36 and 40 players under the new agreement, but even then, the number of professional players with one less team will shrink from 175 to 160, meaning a net loss of 15 players.

Players will also be given an extra week’s vacation, which must be taken as a block under the new deal.

It’s also been announced that the women’s and men’s sevens teams will earn the same amount, with entry-level salaries for full-time players the same as those in Super Rugby squads.

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In another win for women, Wallaroos players will receive Test match payments for the first time in 2018. However, there was no mention of the new Super W competition in the press release sent by Rugby Australia on the new CBA. Female rugby players plying their trade for a Super W side will have their costs covererd, but won’t be paid a wage.

Outgoing Rugby Australia CEO Bill Pulver said it was a “tough but fair negotiation” and he was happy with the outcome.

Bill Pulver ARU CEO

(AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)

“[The negotiation] has provided an outcome that ultimately sets our game on a strong footing heading into the final three years of our current broadcast agreement,” Pulver said.

“While we continue to invest heavily in the professional game, Rugby Australia and RUPA have worked together to ensure that the game can address the issue of funding at the community level.

“We have struck a balance that will allow greater investment in the community game, while ensuring that our high performance programs are supported to deliver the on-field success that rugby fans demand and deserve.

“The new CBA is the first of its kind to incorporate all professional programs, including our sevens teams and the Wallaroos, and importantly addresses key issues of pay equality and player welfare.”

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Rugby Union Players Association president Dean Mumm said it was critical to secure the new CBA.

“With the previous CBA expiring at the end of 2017, securing this agreement has been a priority for all parties and provides the certainty and stability to put recent challenges behind us,” said Mumm.

“This agreement allows all parties to draw a line in the sand and move forward towards a more prosperous future for Australian rugby.

With the Super Rugby competition being reshaped and the current broadcast deal ending in 2020, it’s a short-term CBA. The previous CBA had been in effect since 2003.

Two South African teams were cut alongside the Western Force for the 2018 season and the future of Super Rugby appears to be hanging in the balance. It’s unclear if any teams from the African nation will compete beyond the end of the current TV deal in 2020.

The re-shaping of the competition left Rugby Australia in a position where they decided to cut the Force, with finances thought to be one of the key issues for the Western Australian club.

At the time, Bill Pulver and Cameron Clyne both indicated there were financial issues which contributed to the decision.

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Bill Pulver Cameron Clyne press conference

(AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

“We did an exhaustive analysis, a massive spreadsheet on all the variables that went into this decision,” said Pulver.

“Some of them community-based, some of them high-performance based and frankly at the end of the day the best decision for Australian rugby was to remove the Western Force.

“Financially, it made the most sense.”

Chairman Cameron Clyne also spoke about the decision to save the Rebels instead of the Force.

“There has been a lot of public support and a lot of genuine financial support from people in Melbourne that have come out,” said Clyne.

“Whilst we do appreciate people like Andrew [Forrest] getting involved it came very late in the piece.

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“Part of the issue was the Force were virtually bankrupt and had to be bailed out.”

2017 was an extremely difficult year for Australian Super Rugby clubs, with only the Brumbies making the finals as winners of the Australian conference and no team recording a win against any New Zealand side for the duration of the 2017 season.

With players being split more evenly across the remaining four teams, it’s hoped they will be much more competitive in 2018.

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