England Test stars slate 'unfair' pay
Fri, 16 May 2008 11:33
England's Test rugby players have expressed their unhappiness with the new proposed pay structure by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), English rugby's controlling body.
The RFU are proposing to revamp player remuneration packages, and want to replace the existing flat rate of around £100,000 a year with a system of £65,000 per year plus bonuses for winning Test matches.
But this performance-based system has been slammed by the England players, who have labelled the new package 'unfair'.
"The major bone of contention is win bonuses on a match-by-match basis," said Professional Rugby Players' Association chairman David Barnes.
"In a team game in which anything can happen, we believe that to be unfair."
England's current crop of Test players receive £9,000 per game under the current structure, but at the end of June, this agreement comes to an end.
Negotiations are currently underway to try and find an amicable solution to the dispute between the RFU, the Professional Rugby Players' Association (PRA) and certain players' representatives.
These negotiations are very important for the players, as the outcome will decide the pay structures for the next four years, with the new contract set to span from July 2008 to June 2012.
According to the Daily Telegraph, the RFU reported "positive and productive" talks with the parties concerned, but Barnes revealed that a the dispute was far from resolved.
"There is a bit of a problem at the moment - not exclusively about money," Barnes said.
"I don't believe England players are frightened of the concept of an end-of-tournament bonus being paid on top of a fair and negotiated match fee calculated on their finishing position in the Six Nations and World Cup."
There have been rumours recently about a player strike over the dispute, which would place the England tour to New Zealand in doubt. But that tour will still be covered by the current pay structures.
Administrators will be hoping that a similar situation to Martin Johnson's 2000 England squad won't repeat itself.
Johnson and his team went on strike back then over similar remuneration issues in that year, a move which forced the RFU into hasty negotiations.
