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Michael Hooper and fellow high-earning Wallabies free to soon star in the Gallagher Premiership - report

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

The Gallagher Premiership could be poised to play host to a number of Australia’s leading international players on short-term deals next season. Swingeing pay cut arrangements are finally set to be confirmed by Rugby Australia on Monday following lengthy discussions with the Rugby Union Players Association.

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However, to compensate for the loss of earnings, Rugby Australia are believed to have agreed that a half-dozen of its top stars will be permitted to seek out six-month contracts overseas outside of the international Test window. 

A Sydney Morning Herald report is claiming that players such as Michael Hooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Toomua and Dane Haylett-Petty will be given the green light to take a leave of absence from Super Rugby and secure short term contracts in places such as England and the Japanese Top League before returning in time for the July 2021 Test schedule.

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The measure has apparently been agreed by way of acknowledging the long service the likes of 2019 World Cup skipper Hooper has given to the Wallabies, but this same leeway to temporarily leave on a sabbatical won’t be afforded to up and coming stars such as Taniela Tupou, Allan Ala’alatoa, Jordan Petaia and Isi Naisarani. 

Any departure of headline names would be a serious blow to Australia’s struggling Super Rugby franchises but with the country’s hugest earners volunteering to take cuts as high at 65 per cent for six months, it was felt the authorities were in no position to prevent these players from having the contractual flexibility to head abroad and make up for lost earnings.  

Finances in the Australian game are at a seriously low ebb with Rugby Australia set to apply for emergency funding from the relief fund established this week by World Rugby.  

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J
JW 22 minutes ago
'Passionate reunion of France and New Zealand shows Fabien Galthie is wrong to rest his stars'

Where? I remember saying "unders"? The LNR was formed by the FFR, if I said that in a way that meant the 'pro' side of the game didn't have an equal representation/say as the 'amateur' side (FFR remit) that was not my intent.


But also, as it is the governing body, it also has more responsibility. As long as WR looks at FFR as the running body for rugby in France, that 'power' will remain. If the LNR refuses to govern their clubs use of players to enable a request by FFR (from WR) to ensure it's players are able to compete in International rugby takes place they will simply remove their participation. If the players complain to the France's body, either of their health and safety concerns (through playing too many 'minutes' etc) or that they are not allowed to be part in matches of national interest, my understanding is action can be taken against the LNR like it could be any other body/business. I see where you're coming from now re EPCR and the shake up they gave it, yes, that wasn't meant to be a separate statement to say that FFR can threaten them with EPCR expulsion by itself, simply that it would be a strong repercussion for those teams to be removed (no one would want them after the above).


You keep bringing up these other things I cannot understand why. Again, do you think if the LNR were not acting responsibly they would be able to get away with whatever they want (the attitude of these posters saying "they pay the players")? You may deem what theyre doing currently as being irresponsible but most do not. Countries like New Zealand have not even complained about it because they've never had it different, never got things like windfall TV contracts from France, so they can't complain because theyre not missing out on anything. Sure, if the French kept doing things like withholding million dollar game payments, or causing millions of dollars of devaluation in rights, they these things I'm outlining would be taking place. That's not the case currently however, no one here really cares what the French do. It's upto them to sort themselves out if they're not happy. Now, that said, if they did make it obvious to World Rugby that they were never going to send the French side away (like they possibly did stating their intent to exclude 20 targeted players) in July, well then they would simply be given XV fixtures against tier 2 sides during that window and the FFR would need to do things like the 50/50 revenue split to get big teams visiting in Nov.

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