Wallabies stars will kick off the spring tour in London this week amid an escalating pay dispute with Rugby Australia, with the playersโ union confirming it plans to take legal action after failing to strike a deal with RA for a new collective bargaining agreement.
But in a hint of potential turbulence to come, RA responded by saying it made a strong offer which also protects the whole game, and fired a shot at Rugby Union Players Association officials for blocking them from talking directly to players.
As the Wallabies jetted out of Sydney for the start of a month-long tour of the UK, the current CBA between the RUPA, RA and the Super Rugby clubs expired on Saturday.
Months of tense negotiations between RUPA and RA reps failed to agree to terms for a new deal by deadline, after RUPA pushed strongly for a significant increase in pay for all menโs and womenโs professional players, and for improved conditions in areas such as insurance, as well.
The parties started out tens of millions of dollars apart, in terms of the minimum spend on player wages over a five-year term, and despite coming closer together, the final positions RUPA and RA were still significantly apart, according to sources unable to comment publicly due to the confidential nature of talks.
The funding arrangements for playersโ career-ending insurance policies and private health premiums were also a sticking point, according to sources.
The deadlock means players are now not bound by the conditions of the previous CBA, opening a door for potential industrial action. The Wallabies are on tour and play England next weekend; the Australian sevens sides begin the World Series later this month, and Super Rugby menโs squads start pre-season training this week.
In a statement on Sunday, RUPA boss Adrian Turner appeared to rule out strike action by saying โthe players remain focused on their playing commitmentsโ, but with no CBA in place, he indicated the players are looking to block Rugby Australia from using the players, and their images, for commercial purposes.
โUnfortunately, we havenโt reached agreement, despite making every effort to find a reasonable compromise. We put forward revised proposals and positions this week in an effort to bridge the remaining differences, but RA has confirmed the Rugby Bodies arenโt prepared to improve their financial offer,โ Turner said.
โThe players have every interest in seeing the game grow financially, and weโve approached these negotiations with that firmly in mind. Equally, we have a responsibility to our members, and there are some fundamental conditions we canโt compromise on. Any agreement needs to properly recognise the playersโ contribution to the game and provide the conditions and protections they should expect as professional athletes.
โThe ball is in RAโs court now, and weโll wait to hear from them on whether thereโs a way forward. In the meantime, weโve formally notified RA of our intention to commence legal proceedings concerning the commercial use of player rights following the expiry of the CBA.
โThe players remain focused on their playing commitments. Itโs our job as their association to work through these issues with RA, and thatโs what weโll continue to do.โ
Turner and fellow RUPA official Tom Symonds, who both used to work for the RLPA, met with Wallabies players in camp in Sydney last week.
Wallabies players may be able to refuse to engage in commercial activities with RA sponsors and partners. It is unclear if all players are in the same boat, however, with informed sources saying some players have individual arrangements in their contracts.
Having negotiated the last two CBAs under the financial peril brought by COVID, RUPA has been more bullish and argued for RA to invest far more in players in the next cycle, using the significant windfalls from the Lions and the Rugby World Cup.
RUPA said last month it was โunacceptableโ players would not get a cut of the $100m fee paid to RA for hosting the 2027 World Cup.
RA has argued its focus is to provide an uplift for players but to also ensure that cash reserves arenโt exhausted within the next few years.
โRugby Australia and Australiaโs Super Rugby Clubs have engaged in good faith and proposed to RUPA a position that rewards todayโs players while protecting the communities, pathways and high-performance systems that will produce all the generations to come,โ Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh said in a statement.
โRugby Australia has transparently and consistently provided RUPAโs leadership with the gameโs current and future financials, which form the basis of the position put forward by RA and the SRCs.
โIn addition, RA has requested on several occasions to speak directly with the players to convey its position. These requests have been rejected by RUPA.โ
Talks between RUPA and RA are set to continue this week.
Iain Payten is a senior sports reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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