Sonny Bill Williams speaks out in favour of pay cuts
NZ Herald
Sonny Bill Williams has expressed his willingness to take a pay cut from his multi-million dollar contract with the Toronto Wolfpack to help the club deal with the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
Williams became league’s highest paid player when he joined the Super League club on a two-year contract worth $10m, but with sport worldwide struggling from the impact of the pandemic, he would readily do his part to help the game financially.
“100 per cent, I would be that way inclined,” Williams told the UK’s Sky Sports News when asked about a pay cut.
“When it comes to taking pay cuts, to keep the game afloat, it would be crazy not to think that’s going to occur, especially with the way things are happening in the sporting world.
“I consider myself in a privileged position and [I am] taking a step back and understanding that sport is just a game and there are things in life that are more important.
“But in terms of sport, it is crazy to think some organisations might not make it through.”
Pay cuts appear to be making their way into sports worldwide, with various bodies announcing reduced salaries for staff and players.
Springboks behemoth and reigning World Rugby player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit has been crowned the world's best flanker by fans on social media.https://t.co/akK5flxNi1
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 28, 2020
All Blacks coach Ian Foster told Newstalk ZB‘s Martin Devlin that the All Blacks coaching staff had already agreed to a pay cut, and cuts to player salaries would soon follow.
English rugby has already been hit by pay cuts, with national team coach Eddie Jones agreeing to a 25 per cent reduction in his salary, while six Premiership rugby sides have also agreed to take 25 per cent pay cuts.
Football players from German clubs Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have also agreed to take pay cuts, with a 20 per cent reduction in salary, while the NRL will reportedly ask its players to cop a mammoth 87 per cent pay cut while the competition is in lockdown.
WATCH: England coach Eddie Jones ‘immediately agreed’ to a pay cut in excess of £187,500.
Comments on RugbyPass
Would’ve, could’ve, should’ve, didn’t.
224 Go to commentsKok will become a fan favourite
1 Go to commentsI am really looking forward to Leigh Halfpenny playing his first Super rugby game for the Crusaders Playing a long side his former Welsh and Scarlets team mate Johnny McNicoll.Johnny has been playing great, back in a Crusaders jersey.The attack has strengthened big time. Also looking forward to David Havili at 10. David is a class act, it also allows Dallas McLeod to remain at 12. A good thing.
1 Go to commentsIf he had stopped insisting on playing in the backrow, instead of wing, where everyone told him he should, he would have been a Bok years ago….
11 Go to comments‘Salads don’t win scrums’ 😂 I love that.
19 Go to commentsCan’t wait for the article that talks about misogyny in Ireland. Somehow.
16 Go to commentsI would like to see a rule change, when the attacking team is held up over the try line, by allowing the defensive team to restart a goal line drop out releases the pressure for the defensive team, but what if the attacking team had to restart a tap 5m out from the defensive team it gives the attacking team to apply more pressure, there are endless options for the attacking side and it will keep the fans in suspence.
2 Go to commentsLess modern South African males predictably triggered.
16 Go to commentsMy heart is with Quins, but the head is convinced Toulouse have too much. Ntamack is back, his timing and wisdom has been missed.
1 Go to commentsWow, what a starting line up for the Sharks) Tasty up front,kremer vs Tshituka or venter …fiery ,,Lavannini ,,will he knobble etzebeth? Biggest game for belleau?
1 Go to commentsIt was rubbish to watch, Blues weren’t even present. Did what they had to do, nothing more. Should be better next week against canes.
1 Go to commentsI’ve just noticed that this match has an all-French refereeing team. Surely a game like this ought to have a neutral ref? Although looking at the BBC preview of the Saints game, Raynal is also down as reffing that - so there may be some confusion about who is reffing what.
1 Go to commentsIf Havili can play anywhere in the back line, why not first 5. #10.
11 Go to commentsThe dressing room had already left for their summer break before they ran out in Dublin that year, and that’s on the coach. Franco Smith has undoubtedly made progress, particularly their maul, developing squad players and increasing squad depth. And against a very tight budget too. That said they were too lightweight last year and got found out against both Toulon and Munster in consecutive games. Better this season so far but they’ve developed something of a slow start habit occasionally, most notably losing at home to Northampton who played them at their own game. Play offs will ultimately show whether there has been tangible progress on last year, or not…!
2 Go to commentsAustralian Rugby has been a disaster, by not incorporating learning from previous successful campaigns. QLD Reds 2011 - Waratahs 2014. Players, coaches and administrators appoint there representatives for scheduled meetings, organisation’s agreement’s assessments and correspondence. This why a unified Rugby Union under one entity works. Every Rugby nation has taken that path. Was most difficult in the Northern hemisphere with over 100 years of club rugby before the game become professional. Took a lot of humility for those unions to eventually work together.
7 Go to commentsThough Wilson’s sacking was pretty brutal, it wasn’t just down to that Leinster game; Glasgow had a lot of 2nd half collapses that season, in the URC and Europe, and only just scraped into the playoffs. Franco Smith has definitely been an improvement, some players are delivering far more than they did under Wilson.
2 Go to commentsjesus - that front 5!
1 Go to commentsShould be an absolute cracker of a game! Will be great to see DuPont & Ntamack in tandem once again🔥
1 Go to commentsBest team ever…. To have played? These guys are still pressure chokers. Came nowhere when it counted. What a joke
84 Go to commentsMusk defends anonymous terrorism, fascism, threats against individuals and children etc etc But a Rugby club account….lock ‘em up!!!
2 Go to comments