£60K WAGE CUTS BUY STARS TIME
ENGLAND’S players have agreed to take a £60,000 pay cut next season – in exchange for more time off. Squad representatives yesterday signed off a deal with the RFU which will see their world-beating £24,000 match fee trimmed to £18,000 to help Twickenham shoulder the costs of the coronavirus shutdown.
The quid pro quo will be extra rest periods for the England elite player squad (EPS) to combat fears of burnout in a congested campaign which starts just a fortnight after the delayed conclusion of this season’s Six Nations.
The agreement means England players will sit out of the first two rounds of Europe with their clubs before Christmas.
“The playing group wanted to address some concerns around welfare and rest for the EPS and we are encouraged by the progress made,” said hooker Jamie George.
“We fully understand the pressures around the next 12 months both on and off the pitch, so it was vital for us to agree these provisions going forward.”
The downtime will include a one-week break after England’s game in Italy on October 31, a fortnight off after the conclusion of the new Autumn Nations Cup in December and a week’s break rather than England training during a fallow week in next season’s Six Nations.
A New Year training camp in Brighton with the national side has also been scrapped.
RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney said: “We are committed to ensuring the RFU runs a sustainable operation to safeguard the future of the game in England and are grateful to the England international playing group for their willingness to accept a reduction in fees over the next 12 months to support this.
“We are committed to looking after their wellbeing during this challenging period of fixtures.”