End of ABs paydays in the UK?
The owner of Waisake Naholo’s UK side has revealed he shovelled $8 million of his own money into the club last season and believes the coronavirus crisis could end the era of big spending and unsustainable player wages.
‘‘Last season cost me £4 million [$8.2m] and I can’t afford that,’’ London Irish owner Mick Crossan told the Mirror in the UK.
‘‘Club rugby has to change. We can’t keep relying on rich benefactors.
‘‘It’s definitely not a sustainable business. Everyone’s suffering.
‘‘This crisis may actually be a saving grace for club rugby, in the respect that everyone will hopefully now cut their cloth to suit their pockets.’’
London Irish went on a spending splurge last year, recruiting Naholo from the Highlanders while also luring Wallabies Adam Coleman, Nick Phipps and Curtis Rona.
Those acquisitions were typical of the ‘arms race’ in the English Premiership as clubs constantly raided the southern hemisphere to keep themselves competitive.
The Hurricanes also lost onetest All Black Matt Proctor to the UK last year, with the classy centre finding the money on offer simply too good to turn down, while former All Blacks No 10 Lima Sopoaga joined Wasps in 2018.
Stuff has repeatedly been told over the past year that New Zealand players can increase their earnings by as much as six times by accepting deals in Europe or Japan.
The discrepancy between what they can earn in New Zealand and overseas is particularly true if they are fringe All Blacks who earn a fraction of what top domestic earners such as Beauden Barrett can pocket.
In fact, as soon as players or coaches gain Super Rugby experience their value rises in overseas markets.
However, the economic damage caused by the coronavirus pandemic has caused rugby organisations worldwide to take a step back and take a hard look at their spending, and Crossan said that it could be a timely wake up call.
‘‘I honestly think it will do club rugby good by bringing common sense back to the clubs and the finances of what players are being offered,’’ Crossan said.
‘‘Hopefully it will give a kick in the arse to some of the agents as well.
‘‘For a lot of things in the world, including rugby, this crisis is maybe the kick up the backside people needed.’’
London Irish players have already been forced to take 25 per cent pay cuts and it is only a matter of time before New Zealand players follow suit.
New Zealand Rugby Players Association boss Rob Nichol told
Stuff on Tuesday that his organisation ‘‘very close’’ to coming to an agreement on likely pay-cuts looming as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
‘‘At the national level we’re very close,’’ he said.
‘‘We’ve been able to give players a heads up on what might be coming, which means they’ve been able to engage with their advisers and our support people to move the levers they need to.
‘‘Now we’re looking to refine the detail. Hopefully, in the next wee while we can nail that down.’’