Wallabies stars will kick off the spring tour in London this week amid an escalating pay dispute with Rugby Australia, with the players’ union confirming it plans to take legal action after failing to strike a deal with RA for a new collective bargaining agreement.
asserted
it → kick → agreement
But in a hint of potential turbulence to come, RA responded by saying it made a strong offer which also protects the whole game, and fired a shot at Rugby Union Players Association officials for blocking them from talking directly to players.
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which → come → players
As the Wallabies jetted out of Sydney for the start of a month-long tour of the UK, the current CBA between the RUPA, RA and the Super Rugby clubs expired on Saturday.
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CBA → jet → Saturday
Months of tense negotiations between RUPA and RA reps failed to agree to terms for a new deal by deadline, after RUPA pushed strongly for a significant increase in pay for all men’s and women’s professional players, and for improved conditions in areas such as insurance, as well.
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RUPA → fail → insurance
The parties started out tens of millions of dollars apart, in terms of the minimum spend on player wages over a five-year term, and despite coming closer together, the final positions RUPA and RA were still significantly apart, according to sources unable to comment publicly due to the confidential nature of talks.
uncertain
positions → start → talks
The funding arrangements for players’ career-ending insurance policies and private health premiums were also a sticking point, according to sources.
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arrangements → end → sources
The deadlock means players are now not bound by the conditions of the previous CBA, opening a door for potential industrial action.
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players → mean → action
The Wallabies are on tour and play England next weekend; the Australian sevens sides begin the World Series later this month, and Super Rugby men’s squads start pre-season training this week.
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squads → play → training
In a statement on Sunday, RUPA boss Adrian Turner appeared to rule out strike action by saying “the players remain focused on their playing commitments”, but with no CBA in place, he indicated the players are looking to block Rugby Australia from using the players, and their images, for commercial purposes.
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players → appear → purposes
“Unfortunately, we haven’t reached agreement, despite making every effort to find a reasonable compromise.
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we → reach → compromise
We put forward revised proposals and positions this week in an effort to bridge the remaining differences, but RA has confirmed the Rugby Bodies aren’t prepared to improve their financial offer,” Turner said.
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Turner → put → offer
“The players have every interest in seeing the game grow financially, and we’ve approached these negotiations with that firmly in mind.
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we → have → mind
Equally, we have a responsibility to our members, and there
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we → have → members
are some fundamental conditions we can’t compromise on.
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we → compromise → ?
Any agreement needs to properly recognise the players’ contribution to the game and provide the conditions and protections they should expect as professional athletes.
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they → need → athletes
“The ball is in RA’s court now, and we’ll wait to hear from them on whether there’s a way forward.
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we → wait → them
In the meantime, we’ve formally notified RA of our intention to commence legal proceedings concerning the commercial use of player rights following the expiry of the CBA.
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we → notify → CBA
“The players remain focused on their playing commitments.
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players → remain → commitments
It’s our job as their association to work through these issues with RA, and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”
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we → ’ → what
Turner and fellow RUPA official Tom Symonds, who both used to work for the RLPA, met with Wallabies players in camp in Sydney last week.
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who → use → Sydney
Wallabies players may be able to refuse to engage in commercial activities with RA sponsors and partners.
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players → refuse → sponsors
It is unclear if all players are in the same boat, however, with informed sources saying some players have individual arrangements in their contracts.
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players → say → contracts
Having negotiated the last two CBAs under the financial peril brought by COVID, RUPA has been more bullish and argued for RA to invest far more in players in the next cycle, using the significant windfalls from the Lions and the Rugby World Cup.
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RA → negotiate → Lions
RUPA said last month it was “unacceptable” players would not get a cut of the $100m fee paid to RA for hosting the 2027 World Cup.
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players → say → Cup
RA has argued its focus is to provide an uplift for players but to also ensure that cash reserves aren’t exhausted within the next few years.
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reserves → argue → years
“Rugby Australia and Australia’s Super Rugby Clubs have engaged in good faith and proposed to RUPA a position that rewards today’s players while protecting the communities, pathways and high-performance systems that will produce all the generations to come,” Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh said in a statement.
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Waugh → engage → statement
“Rugby Australia has transparently and consistently provided RUPA’s leadership with the game’s current and future financials, which form the basis of the position put forward by RA and the SRCs.
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which → provide → RA
“In addition, RA has requested on several occasions to speak directly with the players to convey its position.
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RA → request → position
These requests have been rejected by RUPA.
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requests → reject → RUPA
Talks between RUPA and RA are set to continue this week.
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Talks → set → RUPA
The Aporia
