Women rugby players win new pay deal
PAY parity, increased rosters for Super Rugby clubs and more room in the salary cap are bright points in rugby’s new collective bargaining agreement, as Rugby Australia looks to put one of its most tumultuous years behind them.
Outgoing CEO Bill Pulver acknowledged damaged relationships in Western Australia will take time to heal after the axing of the Western Force, but he hopes people will realise it was needed.
In what is Pulver’s last task before Raelene Castle takes over on Monday, he was confident fewer teams – that allows more money for the remaining teams and deeper playing rosters – will set up Australian Super Rugby sides for better performances that would draw people back to the games.
“The player lists from the four remaining teams are very strong,” he said.
“Super Rugby starts in February and we’re very confident of much better results this year. In the large part, if the teams perform well on the paddock, the crowds will come.”
The new collective bargaining agreement comes into effect immediately and will run until the end of the television rights deal in 2020.
It now includes Wallabies, the women’s Wallaroos, Super Rugby and Sevens players, with the latter two receiving equal minimum contracts for male and female players, while the Wallaroos receive match payments for the first time.
Super Rugby clubs can contract between 36 and 40 players under a salary cap of $5.5 million, which will have allowances this year to accommodate movement of Force players.
Players involved in the newly created women’s XVs competition, Super W, which starts in March, are not included at this stage but the CBA may be updated and those players will be included in the next one.
Pulver said it was an intense negotiation given there was only a few months to complete it after the Super Rugby format was finalised.
He said he was pleased players could address welfare issues, including a pregnancy policy for female players.
“For the women’s players, pay parity was important. Sevens players were coming into the agreement for the first time. Wallaroos, XVs players wanted to have an environment that was appropriate for them,” Pulver said.
“One of the core components is creating a period of trial after their pregnancy and they’re ready to come back. In the event that a female player comes off contract during that period ... we’ve guaranteed a trial period to see if they’re capable of playing again.”