NZ Rugby cops huge wage bill
New Zealand Rugby will distribute almost $1.8 million in ‘‘assembly fees’’ to its elite players over the next five weeks.
Rarely, if ever, has the exercise of sending the All Blacks, Black Ferns and NZ Ma¯ori squads on northern tours at the same time put such a significant dent in the NZ Rugby budget, with 107 players eligible for the assembly payments that are calculated on a weekly basis.
The fees, issued on top of the fixed retainers that the majority of All Blacks, Black Ferns and experienced Super Rugby representatives in the NZ Ma¯ori squad receive, total $1,751,000.
Given each All Black will be rewarded with a $7500 payment for every week he’s on duty, and that 51 players (a figure that includes 19 men called up for the test week against Japan in Tokyo) have been enlisted for the fivematch tour, NZ Rugby’s flagship squad will cost three times more to operate than the Black Ferns and NZ Ma¯ ori squads combined.
The total cost of shipping the All Blacks offshore, in terms of these fees, comes in at $1,334,500. This figure takes into account that openside flanker Matt Todd will return to his Japanese club Panasonic, rather than play the tour finale against Italy in Rome on November 25. Thirty-one All Blacks will be involved in the entire tour, with the first two tests played in Yokohama and Tokyo against the Wallabies and Japan, respectively, followed by matches in England, Ireland and Italy.
However 22 will skip the match against Japan, and will instead be shipped directly to London to begin preparations for the test against England on November 11.
NZ Rugby will offset its costs in the knowledge it will receive undisclosed fees for participating in the Bledisloe Cup dead rubber against the Wallabies at the 72,000-seat stadium at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, and against Japan at the Ajinomoto Stadium which has a capacity of just under 50,000.
Last year NZ Rugby CEO Steve Tew said his organisation had struck an ‘‘appropriate commercial arrangement’’ with the Japanese rugby union for the test against the Brave Blossoms.
Giving the All Blacks a brief insight to touring life in Japan, where the World Cup will be staged next year, is one reason why NZ Rugby wanted to be involved in these matches.
‘‘Obviously we are keen to get some familiarity with the place for the players in particular and the coaching staff,’’ Tew told media.
‘‘I think it’s going to be very good for building New Zealand up as the second favourite team for the Japanese fans at the Rugby World Cup in Japan in 2019.’’
The opportunity to rake in more loot is clearly just as important. Especially when you take into account that NZ Rugby is obligated to spend 36 per cent of its expenditure on players’ wages, and that Tew has recently stated the organisation spends between $5-7 million more than what it earns.
Commercial reality suggests there will be zero chance of NZ Rugby losing money on the games in Japan, even with such a bloated squad in tow.