Wallaby Mitchell's 'grim' pay predictions
Unemployed and enduring a frustrating wait to resume his own career, Drew Mitchell expects a similarly grim short-term future for Australia’s rugby professionals bracing for steep pay cuts.
But, while also challenging Rugby Australia (RA) to make the most of a dire situation, he says even a 70 per cent salary hit now is the smart play if it means there is a more engaging, dynamic competition to return to.
Fiji are dealing with some contractual dilemmas caused by the postponed Tokyo Games:
The former Wallabies winger retired in 2017 but was set to return in Major League Rugby for New York before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a halt.
A casualty of Fox Sports’ cuts to its rugby broadcast team in January, the 36-year-old is biding his time in Sydney but says he still intends to make the move once borders are re-opened.
The 71-Test veteran remains tight with many current Super Rugby players, who are yet to learn how much they stand to lose two days after RA announced a 75 per cent stand-down of staff.
Australia’s Super Rugby clubs have taken similar hits, with many staff to lean on the government’s JobKeeper scheme to limit the damage until competition resumes.
RA chief executive Raelene Castle, who will take a 50 percent pay cut, remains in a stand-off of sorts with Rugby Union Players’ Association boss Justin Harrison, who insists he needs more clarity on RA’s financial situation before a decision is made.
“I don’t think cutting contracts is an option, but they’re going to have to take a hit like other codes,” Mitchell said.
“It’s pretty grim when you’re talking about minimum wage for three months, when you live to your relative income and these guys have mortgages based on the money they were earning.
“So it’ll put a strain on, but 30 percent now and having something to go back to is a lot better than having nothing to go back to.
“As hard as it is, and it’s easier to say because I’m not involved, there’s a longer-term play here and by taking a substantial hit in the short term means you might have something to come back to in the long term.”
RA has forecast a $120-million revenue hit if no Super Rugby fixtures or domestic Tests are possible this year and also announced a provisional $9.4 million loss for 2019.
Mitchell has been holed up at home by himself, admitting that some days he doesn’t utter a spoken word as he does his bit to curb the spread of the virus.
“I don’t know if I’ve hit a ruck in my career so I don’t know if that’s something the team will want me to do!”
. @drew_mitchell talks to @TomVinicombe about his MLR move https://t.co/b0QmOWAqLU
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 28, 2020
He said, just like for the rest of society, the pandemic-enforced shut down needed to serve as a chance for RA to reflect and improve.
“It’s dire, but this is an opportunity to be missed or taken as to how you go about changing your life and making the most of a pretty awful situation,” he said.
“I don’t know if (RA’s) finances have been poorly handled or not, but I do know a large part of our population loves rugby, the Wallabies, Waratahs, Reds, whoever.
“They are probably a little bit disgruntled, frustrated with what’s happened over the last decade.
“It’s time for the people in our game to be creative, inventive, find a way to re-engage with that 18-to-45-year-old demographic, let them know they’re being heard.”
Mitchell had been training with Adam Ashley-Cooper, who was set to join the MLR for Austin, in a competition he says won’t be impacted by USA Rugby’s recent bankruptcy announcement.
“I’ve spoken to the club and it’s all systems go once the country is back up and running again,” he said.
“I wasn’t keen to play again initially, but the idea of living in New York really got my attention and since I’ve been training I got quite excited.
“So to have it taken away is a bit of a shame but I’ll stay in shape and I’ll go up once the borders are open.
“It’s (the MLR) getting to be another option on the global rugby landscape; it’s not quite there yet, but it’s on the way.”
– AAP
Comments on RugbyPass
I bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
4 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
9 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments