Australian Rugby Union boss Bill Pulver has warned top players they will have to accept smaller contracts to play for the Wallabies due to the code’s worrying financial situation.
And Pulver has also revealed the loss of almost $19 million over the past two years won’t be off-set as much as hoped by the upcoming British and Irish Lions tour.
Lions tours have generally been huge money-spinners for Australian rugby but next month’s visit isn’t about to bring the windfall that was originally expected.
“Sadly there is not as much money coming in from the Lions tour this year as we would have wanted because of a quite difficult sponsorship market,” Pulver said in an interview with the ESPNscrum website.
“Historically we have had these periodic windfalls.
“Hosting the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and a ton of money came in.
“Every 12 years you have a British and Irish Lions tour and a ton of money comes in.
“Australian rugby has pretty much survived on major windfalls that have covered losses until the next windfall comes in.”
And Pulver warned Australia could not realistically be expected to host another World Cup until 2031 at the earliest, but more likely not until 2039.
“So our next windfall being 12 years away does worry me,” he said.
Pulver admitted he was concerned by the code’s financial health and felt top-line players would have to cop reduced salaries to play for the Wallabies for the good of the game.
The ARU and Super Rugby franchises struggle mostly to keep top players from taking more lucrative deals in France and Japan, which in turn prevent them from playing for Australia.
“The opportunity and the excitement associated with the Wallabies jersey should carry a lot of value,” Pulver said.
“The lure, power and magnetism of that Wallabies jersey is significant.”
Pulver admitted Australian rugby had to do more than reduce player salaries if it was to get back in good financial shape.
“What I’m most concerned about is fan engagement,” he said.
“It can be addressed, but turning around revenue is, on the one hand, about winning more at the elite level when 95 per cent of your revenue comes from Super Rugby and the Wallabies, and it is also turning the entertainment package around.
“Our rusted-on rugby fans have been slipping away from the game, and we’ve got to get them back. We have a fair bit of work to do.”
allblackfan
Guest
delve is heading home as is robinson and also, apparently, mathewson after this season is done.
Johnno
Guest
Die Hard Asian rugby is improving slowly but it's improving year by year. Hong Kong,Japan,South Korea, UAE, Kazakstan. Phillipines got smashed by Japan 120-0 in the Asian 5 nation, but that is misleading in itself. The fact the Phillipines have risen so fast to the Asian 5 nations , with no long history in rugby union is a remarkable achievement. Give them another 20 years, and they will rise even more. Think of how long Australia,NZ,South Africa, have been part of the rugby scene, or when Georgia got smashed by everyone at rugby world cup 2003, now look where they are at, it takes time, and for Phillipines to get into Asia's top division in a short space of time, is nothing short of remarkable. Sri Lanka is developing nicely to, and may win promotion next year to the Asian 5 nations. Eddie Jones, has said Japan rugby needs re-structuring to reach it's potential, and it's structures are like being in the 1980's. He is helping them develop, if Japan can restructure it's rugby program, and how it organises it's divisions, it will have a lot of promise. And the size issue, in countries with large populations, you will always find big people. China is developing it's rugby program, and basketball is just about the biggest sport now in China, so no problem finding tall people when you got 1 billion people, and same with India where rugby is now developing.
Chivas
Guest
Not worth the response Richard. People who make these comments have zero idea or knowledge of New Zealand with the exception of they saw Lord of the Rings and know a couple of kiwis. Leave people to their ignorance. It's disrespectful to New Zealanders of Pacific Island origin. Just chalk it up to another lazy ignorant opinion.
richard
Guest
'They would struggle to keep half the PI's in the AB team" - you mean the PI's that were born and bred in NZ,of which their are only a few in the ABs as the bulk of the staring XV are of European and Maori descent(Maoris are technically PI's and look similar to other PI's,so I can understand why you wouldn't be able to distinguish between them). Your better bet would be to look at the increasing PI presence in the Wallaby ranks,or even the use of Namibians and Zimbabweans that turn out for the Boks.
GWS
Guest
Will someone please turn the lights off on the way out :)
GWS
Guest
I watch plenty. Shots at goal are dull. I don't care if you can kick it from your own half.
Kuruki
Roar Guru
I don't understand how pillaging players from the 3 Sanzar nations to make barbarian teams under the Japanese flag is going to save Super rugby, it will attract even smaller crowds.
Good thing you don't watch rugby then, eh?
GWS
Guest
Good night rugby
GWS
Guest
Yeah globally might be the only place you can watch it cause it's dying here
GWS
Guest
Snoozeville If I want to watch penalty goal shootouts I'll watch soccer Um no Just no
GWS
Guest
BING FECKING GO
Jonny Boy Jnr
Guest
A few savings here for the greater good. Sack: Dingo Deans Rob Horne Anthony Faingaa Saia Faingaa Berrick Barnes Tom Carter + cut either the Force. Done.
sheek
Roar Guru
Jiggles, My comment above was in reference to your opening response - "Cut corporate overheads."
sheek
Roar Guru
Jiggles - Partly true & quite relevant. However, rugby doesn't get it that it is not a spectacular entertainment sport compared to the other three footy codes in Australia. That's why it's struggling financially. It's losing the entertainment game. Rugby fans can vent their spleen all they like about Australian football, rugby league & soccer, but these three codes provide better value for the fans, sponsors & media. Whilst ever the IRB considers the ref the most important component of the game, rugby will struggle to entertain.
Chris Hardiman
Roar Rookie
Legendary Kiwi commentator and producer of Rugby docos. Link to cool docos here: http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/legends-of-the-all-blacks-the-legend-begins-1999
Bakkies
Guest
Did you not watch Kiwi rugby in the 80s and early 90s?
Die hard
Roar Rookie
Wouldn't the geographic fact that these teams are in different hemispheres and thus have different seasons make this comp immpossible.
Die hard
Roar Rookie
Not at all Jiggles. The NZ books have not always been heathy. And the Wallabies historically have mostly been worthy opponents. Although the origin of the super six was to help generate cash for Qld NSW at the time. That it morphed into Super 10/12 during the professionalism and ending apartheid years lost a bit of its history but that 96 was also the creation of the Brumbies from ACT rugby to grow into super 10. Before that it was only really NSW and Qld. I remember the ABs having to play West Aust for scores like 90 nil back when tries were worth 4 points. That the only real development in Australian rugby since then has been Super rugby with SA and NZ. A top heavy approach here in Oz is coming back to bite.
Jiggles
Roar Guru
I'm the same nos. I love super rugby because I love the Reds and rugby in general. Pre Super Rugby I only got to see the Reds play about 5 times a year, so I was watching a lot more club rugby live. If we woke up tomorrow and super rugby didn't exist, I'd go back to my old habit of watching more club rugby live. I wouldn't stop being a rugby supporter. As it stands I watch NPC and currie cup when it's on, and also T14 and HEC when I can. Not because I support a team but because its rugby, and I enjoy watching it.