The continuing search for a level playing field
New Zealand Cricket’s new men’s and women’s collective agreement was a game-changer for sport in this country.
NZC closed the pay equity gap for women’s cricketers last week with men and women receiving the same pay for the same work, on the same day.
The new men’s and women’s combined agreements will see the White Ferns and domestic women’s players receiving the same match fees as the men across all formats and competitions.
NZC has acknowledged that while match fees are equal between men and women, men will continue to earn higher retainers, based on matches played, formats contested and time spent training and playing.
But where do some of New Zealand’s other major sports stack up in terms of pay parity, and how much more work is left to be done?
Rugby union
At the top level, the Black Ferns receive about $2000 per week as assembly fees – plus retainers starting at $35,000 – while the All Blacks receive $7500 in assembly fees, and base retainers are negotiated on a case-by-case basis.
In international Sevens there is no gender pay gap. These sides receive about $2000 per week, pro rata in assembly fees, with base retainers between $45,000-$90,000.
For other international representative levels, weekly assembly fees are $3500 for Junior All Blacks, $3000 for the Maori All Blacks and $2000 for All Blacks trial teams.
At Super Rugby level, women were to receive $1250 assembly fees per week ($6250 in total) and no retainers, for the Covid-impacted, 16-day Aupiki competition in March, while men have base retainers of between $75,000 and $195,000, but don’t receive assembly fees when receiving a Super contract.
At NPC and Farah Palmer Cup, the gender pay gap is absolute, in that the women players are still considered amateur, receiving no retainers or assembly fees, while the men have a base retainer of $21,000 for a three-month season.
Those male players coming in for injury cover, who aren’t contracted, receive assembly fees of at least $1250 and training fees on top.
Both women and men do receive equal contributions to super funds and insurance cover.
NZ Rugby board member Dr Farah Palmer said it’s been great to see cricket close that gap, but rugby is ‘‘not there yet’’.
‘‘We’re making steps in that direction. We’ve put the Black Ferns on fulltime contracts now, which is a significant change . . .’’ she said.
‘‘But we’ve got a bit further to go, but we are up for the challenge.’’
Football
Under the New Zealand Football and New Zealand Professional Footballers’ Association (NZPFA) collective bargaining agreement established in 2018, the men’s and women’s teams have pay parity, equal share of prize money, equal rights for image use and parity across travel.
The actual agreement between NZF and the NZPFA is confidential, a NZF spokesperson said.
The final condition around travel was the biggest step forward. In November 2017, when negotiations were just beginning, the NZPFA was looking for the guarantee of business class flights for Europe-based Football Ferns to and from international matches, which the All Whites had for many of their matches.
With professional footballers paid by their clubs, the disparity between men’s and women’s players remains large.
All Whites star Chris Wood, who joined English Premier League Club
Newcastle from Burnley in January, is reportedly on a yearly salary of £5.2 million (NZ$10.38m) and £100,000 a week (NZ$193,051) at the Magpies.
A Telegraph article this year stated players in England’s top women’s competition, Women’s Super League, earned as little as £20,000 a year (NZ$38,763). Even the top paid players are still earning 50 times less than their male counterparts.
NZPFA chief executive Harry Ngata said in 2018 that when all of the factors were considered, the new deal would not cost NZ Football that much money, but its symbolic value was immeasurable.
‘‘The nuts and bolts are fantastic and like for like, but solidarity and gender equality is a symbolic stance from the players, particularly the guys to support the Football Ferns.’’
The 2018 collective was still some way behind Norway’s historic agreement in December 2017, which saw the total annual salaries for the women’s squad increased from £296,000 (NZ$571,000) to £574,000 – equal to that of the men.
Basketball
Basketball New Zealand chief executive Dillon Boucher confirmed the national sides, the Tall Blacks, Tall Ferns, and the Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns 3x3 sides, have pay equity while in camp or on tour, ‘‘which we are very proud of’’.
This season, the ground-breaking women’s Tauihi professional competition delivered a major statement, achieving pay equity with their men’s National Basketball League counterparts.
The competition’s commercial partnership with Sky TV has poured a record amount of money into the women’s game.
Like their male equivalents, the women’s clubs all receive $100,000 towards their budgets.
‘‘It’s long overdue in all our sports, let alone the Kiwi workplace in general,’’ Basketball NZ leagues boss Huw Beynon said.
‘‘With Tauihi, we’ve seen pay parity attract unparalleled talent to Aotearoa, including our best Kiwi players who have hitherto had to ply their trade overseas for decent money.’’
It is understood top Tauihi players get around $2000 per week for the eight-week season. Each Tauihi roster has one $2000-per-week player, decreasing down the roster.
The men’s NBL is a little different, as the teams allocate how much they pay their players. The highest paid players in the men’s league are on roughly the same amount as their women’s Tauihi counterparts.
Stuff understands the men’s salary cap is about $150,000-$170,000 for the 16-week men’s NBL, while the women’s is around $100,000 for the eight-week Tauihi.
Hockey
Top-level hockey in New Zealand is 100% equalised, as it has been from the start.
Twenty-five players are contracted respectively for both the men’s and women’s Black Sticks squads, with everyone getting the same retainer amount.
When the Black Sticks link up for international tournaments, they receive per-day assembly payments, which again is the same for both sexes.
At international level, it is difficult for key Black Sticks to make a full-time living from the sport, unless they are playing professionally in Europe during the off-season. Most juggle part-time work and study.
‘‘Hockey struggles to fund its players. It’s always a struggle. They’re very part-time,’’ New Zealand Hockey Players’ Association executive manager Glen Sulzberger said.
‘‘While it gives the impression it’s a high profile sport and there is funding from High Performance Sport NZ, very little of that flows through to players, unfortunately.’’
The collective agreement expired last year, but was rolled over to 2022 and ends in September.
Hockey NZ and the players’ association are in bargaining.
Sulzberger hoped the new agreement would help address the challenge for players of balancing work and study with representing their country at the highest level.
‘‘From a hockey perspective, we need to have something which enables the players to have balance in their lives.
‘‘Hockey can’t afford to pay players enough to be fully professional, so therefore we need to have an environment which enables flexibility that allows them to chase their dreams, but equally doesn’t mean they go backwards by being involved in the sport.’’
‘‘We’ve got a bit further to go, but we are up for the challenge.’’ Dr Farah Palmer, NZ Rugby board member