Wallabies want more money than All Blacks for World Cup success
The Wallabies want access to up to $6.2 million worth of prize bonuses should they claim the Webb Ellis Cup in Japan later this year.
According to The Sun-Herald, players within the Australian set-up are proposing they be rewarded for winning a quarter-final and semi-final, with an additional bumper payment should they win their third world title.
It is understood the Rugby Union Players’ Association’s proposed per-player tournament win bonus would see them bag $200,000 each – totalling in $6.2m across the 31-man World Cup squad should they claim an unlikely victory in Japan.
That total is more than that of the back-to-back reigning champion All Blacks, whose players were handed a NZ$100,000 (A$95,700) win bonus for claiming the 2011 and 2015 World Cup titles.
That total has now been increased to $150,000 should the All Blacks claim an unprecedented third successive world crown.
Should they finish runners-up, New Zealand Rugby would pay out $35,000 to all those within Steve Hansen’s squad.
The proposed prize pool for this tournament is a significantly different from that of the Wallabies’ 2015 World Cup campaign, where RUPA agreed to a Rugby Australia proposal whereby their entire bonus relied on whether they won the title or not in London.
If Australia had beaten the All Blacks at Twickenham four years ago, every player in their 31-man squad would have claimed $100,000 in win bonuses, but their ultimately unsuccessful campaign meant Michael Cheika’s men went home both trophy-less and without a big payday, aside from the standard $10,000 the players in their match day 23 are paid per test.
This time round, however, the players appear to be looking for a much bigger increase in financial reward for their efforts in three months’ time.
A proposal put forward to Rugby Australia last week saw players request bonuses for making the semi-finals and final, totalling to $100,000, while a win in the final could see them pocket an extra $75,000 to $100,000.
Each player in the World Cup squad would be paid the tournament bonuses, while test match payments – varying between $10,000 for nationally contracted players and $12,000 for other players – would be pooled and evenly distributed to those in the match day squads.
Overall, the total prize pool would increase by $1.5 million from the $4.7 million that was made available for the Wallabies in 2015.
Furthermore, it is an increase from the two World Cups before that, with $5.7 million being offered in 2007, and $4.9 million being tabled in 2011.
However, neither of those payments were paid out, as the Wallabies succumbed to quarter-final and semi-final exits, meaning Rugby Australia haven’t had to pay a World Cup tournament bonus to their national men’s side since their run to the World Cup final in front of their home fans in 2003.
RUPA chairman Bruce Hodgkinson confirmed to The Sun-Herald the players had put their proposal to Rugby Australia but were yet to hear back.
It is thought that Rugby Australia are in favour of the win-or-nothing win bonus payment scheme from 2015.
“That’s being negotiated as we speak,” Hodgkinson said to The Sun-Herald.
“My understanding is that participation agreements are required [by World Rugby] by the beginning of July. Most of the teams have already negotiated and have bonus structures in place. At this stage we don’t have a finalised agreement.”
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Comments on RugbyPass
I agree ..come on keyboard warriors and journalists looking for a cheap win ….. only 2 mins to go 12 points down …this DID NOT decide the game and beside JM was hit after the whistle and in response it was a pat on the back of the head …harmless ….watch soccer if this is your issue
4 Go to commentsRest is for namby pamby sissies, I see. True men should overcome their trifling injuries by playing week in, week out. Bidwell’s stance reminds me of a Jon Gadsby character from the 70s, a rugby captain giving an after-match speech: “It was a very physical contest. One of our players caught a boot on the back of his head in a ruck, and he died, actually. But to his credit, he played on.”
1 Go to commentsI still see nothing in Sotutus play that hes changed his upright running style that failed so many times against decent international defences like the french. Other than that… Iose? Well you have covered his limitations well. If Sititi had been playing the the season… Jacobson? Grace?…Neither shout pick me. So Ardie it is.
1 Go to commentsThere isn’t one element you mentioned there that every top class or successful team gets up to. The great All blacks sides used to play on the ‘fringes or edge’ but it was essentially saying they were doing something illegal or borderline to gain dominance. The fine margins at the top are minute between the top sides. La Rochelle, the crusaders, Saracens, Toulon etc etc…..have all been accused. Get over it, the comment comes across as salty and naive. Northampton as well as they played to get back into the match were thoroughly beaten and controlled for 60 minutes and Leinster have only themselves to blame for kicking it away and hence losing control of the match and being nearly the architects of their own downfall.
2 Go to commentsThere is some talent coming thru thats for sure. The 10 looks special to me. Rico Simpson is a name to look for in the future.
1 Go to commentsI think this quiet honestly is just an innocent misunderstanding by someone who is pig sh*t stupid. Eben is a fine player but by christ, if he can’t understand or get what the Irish players were trying to say to him after the match…..well i hope he has someone looking after his finances, career and is reading the fine print for him, cause life after rugby may be quite difficult for the vacuous echo chamber.
27 Go to commentsIt could be Doris' day!
3 Go to commentsThe whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
27 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
27 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
27 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
27 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
22 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
27 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
91 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
27 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
27 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
27 Go to comments