Super Rugby clubs to stand down players if pay deal not reached by Easter
Every Super Rugby player could be clubless by the end of Easter after embattled CEO Raelene Castle revealed Rugby Australia’s brutal pay-cut terms.
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Super Rugby clubs will stand down their players next week if a pay-cut deal between Rugby Australia and their union can’t be reached by Monday, after the game’s stars were asked to sacrifice a total $11.7 million over the next six months.
RA has asked its 192 professional players to take a 65 per cent wage hit until September 30, extending the original 90-day request during communication with RUPA on Wednesday.
The parties are expected to hold a key video conference on Thursday morning, however it is unlikely a deal will be reached, as RUPA boss Justin Harrison will consult with the playing group before accepting any deal.
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RA’s player wage bill is around $100,000 per day, so the total over six months is $18 million.
Asking the players to take a 65 per cent cut was not well received given RA chief executive Raelene Castle has taken 50 per cent on her $840,000 annual wage, while her 15-person executive team have taken 30 per cent cuts.
The extension from 90 days to six months also caught RUPA off guard, and they will have further questions about the game’s perilous finances on the conference call.
While all this plays out, Australia’s four Super Rugby franchises are going broke.
Their wage bills are $25,000 a day, and aside from the Brumbies who were paid in full last week, the other teams’ players will be paid next Wednesday.
That equates to a $400,000 payment each club can ill afford at a time no games are being played and reserves are running out.
NSW Waratahs chairman Roger Davis told The Daily Telegraph that standing down players is the last thing he and the other club chairmen want to do.
“The Super clubs have been remarkably consistent, we tend to move together, we have a shared problem and that is the combined solvency of our clubs,” Davis said.
“We are hoping for the best, but planning for the worst.
“At NSW, we simply can’t wait for this to be resolved, if necessary we will move independently.
“We are considering standing down the players if there is no agreement between the parties next week, but we’re hopeful it will not come to that.
“Unfortunately, we are not party to the negotiations and have no influence over them.
“We’ve stood down 75 per cent of our staff already, we can’t be fiddling while Rome burns.
“[Standing down the players] is seriously being considered in absence of any other option.”
Adding a hurdle to the timeline is that the four-day Easter long weekend begins Friday, and by the time normal work hours resume a call will need to be made by the franchises.
However, RA is hoping a deal can be struck before then.
It’s understood RA and RUPA would be willing to work through the long weekend to get the deal done.