Is Super Rugby pay a level playing field?

The Hurricanes are braced for a battle to retain some of their stars, as concern mounts around what appears an increasing inequity in Super Rugby Aotearoa’s player market.

In an interview on the Hurricanes’ move towards a perpetual ownership licence, chief executive Avan Lee was pressed on the murky area of third party ‘player agreements’, which he says could change the sport’s landscape in New Zealand.

Player agreements sit outside Super Rugby and All Blacks salaries which are paid by NZ Rugby, with the five clubs operating under a salary cap. In order to secure a big name player, a club can source third party funding which must be declared to NZR, as the Blues did, for example, when signing Beauden Barrett and, more recently, Warriors captain Roger TuivasaSheck.

These agreements are uncapped, and can boost some players’ annual salaries by as much as $250,000, Stuff understands. Super Rugby retainers range from $75,000 to $195,000, with regular All Blacks earning over and above that on a tiered scale. Tuivasa-Sheck is understood to be on around $400,000 next year, Stuff reported in February, plus third party deals which the Blues were tightlipped on.

Lee insisted he wasn’t taking aim at any particular club, and that player agreements were a fact of life for the Hurricanes and the other four in their contracting discussions.

Asked whether there should be tighter regulation, Lee said: ‘‘That kind of market helps keep All Blacks in New Zealand, too, so you’ve got to be careful you’re not shooting yourself in the foot. ‘‘We’ve raised this before, and we have our own player agreements and we’re not saying they shouldn’t be there.

‘‘There is the potential for it to change the whole dynamic in New Zealand Rugby and that’s not really what Super Rugby was built on, which is five competitive clubs of a reasonably equal standard.’’

Whereas recent pressure was applied from Japan, France and the UK, Covid-19 meant New Zealand clubs were now competing more intensely with each other for ‘‘tier one talent’’.

It’s early days in 2021, but already the Blues and Crusaders look a level above the other three. The Hurricanes have star power, too, and won five straight last year including a prized away victory over the Crusaders, but can ill afford to lose the likes of Jordie Barrett, Ardie Savea and Ngani Laumape.

All Blacks Savea and Laumape are off contract at the end of this year, while Barrett is signed with NZR until 2022 but has an option to switch clubs. The Blues have circled for the fullback before, and a shift alongside his older brother for next season may hold some appeal, but it would be a crushing blow for the Hurricanes, still smarting from Beauden’s departure in 2019.

‘‘The market is a challenging one. The Blues have got a massive captive audience up there and have done a good job in improving the organisation through governance and coaching. They can bring things to the table that no one else in New Zealand can because of their population and commercial market,’’ Lee said.

‘‘That is really tough, and we’ve faced that before with Beauden. That’s difficult when you think you’ll be able to hold on to that player.’’

Of retaining the Hurricanes’ top men, Lee said: ‘‘You’d be pretty naive not to think that other clubs would be interested. Jordie has had some interest in the past so I’d be surprised if that doesn’t happen again.

‘‘I wouldn’t say we’d be absolutely confident, but we have to back ourselves and back the environment that’s been created here to retain people that might be able to earn more money somewhere else, but because of their desire to be a Hurricane and desire to stay in the All Blacks, you hope they will stay. We’ll fight tooth and nail to keep those guys here.’’

Still, Lee said their roster was in good shape, with coach Jason Holland and general manager of rugby, Ben Castle, having secured 24 of their 38 spots for next year and soon to be 28.

Positive talks continue with club legend TJ Perenara’s management about his return from Japan for next year’s Super Rugby, while the Hurricanes pursued Highlanders halfback Folau Fakatava who announced on Thursday he was staying with the southerners.

The Hawke’s Bay dynamo emerged through the Hurricanes’ system and was the one that got away, as depth in the halves continues to be a headache amid injuries and Perenara’s absence.

‘‘It’s a pretty buoyant market at the moment in terms of clubs chasing players out of other clubs and it’s not going to go away,’’ Lee said.

‘‘We need to look at ourselves and how can we improve our organisation and develop players from within Wellington, Manawatu, Hawke’s Bay. If you’ve got guys in those regions who grow up wanting to be Hurricanes then you’ve got a reasonable chance of holding onto them. Some you can’t, depending on the time.’’

As for the move to a perpetual licence, Lee says the Hurricanes are well advanced but remain in discussions with NZR on some finer points including commercial rights.

The Crusaders were the first to confirm their new licence earlier this month, which has fewer restrictions on the table and opens the door for new investment and commercial opportunities for cash-strapped franchises. Previously, licences would expire at the end of each broadcast deal.

Lee said a Hurricanes board meeting later this month would discuss it further, and take in the views of the owners.

Said Lee: ‘‘What we talk about amongst the clubs is ‘thrive, not survive’. It’s one thing to go through a season and break even, but it’s something quite different to be considering new opportunities and looking at international growth.’’

‘‘That’s not really what Super Rugby was built on, which is five competitive clubs of a reasonably equal standard.’’

Avan Lee Hurricanes CEO