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New Zealand freezing 50% of remaining player payments

(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) have today agreed to a range of payment changes that apply predominantly to players contracted at Super Rugby level (including All Blacks), in the national sevens programmes and Black Ferns.

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NZR Chief Executive Mark Robinson said: “Like most businesses, people are your greatest asset, and our staff and players are most certainly our number one priority. We wanted to come up with solutions that worked for all our players and ensured that all sectors of our game were sharing in the financial pain we are currently enduring.”

NZRPA Chief Executive Rob Nichol said: “The players are committed to playing their part in ensuring the long-term future of the sport and to ensure the game best manages the financial implications of COVID-19.

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“In contemplating a scenario based on no professional rugby in 2020, NZR and the NZRPA together recognised the need to act now to prepare the game and the players for this, even if there is every intention of doing all we can to avoid it.

“As a result, we have agreed to immediately freeze approximately $25 million, or 50 percent, of the remaining forecasted player spend in 2020.

“In the event that this financial scenario eventuates, the frozen payments and benefits would become waived permanently. Alternatively, if professional rugby can resume and the financial outlook improves, then some of the frozen payments and benefits could be reinstated,” said Nichol

The expenditure freeze covers the base salary of players, assembly payments and other financial benefits and incentives, as well as reductions in player-funded welfare and development activities.

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NZR Head of Professional Rugby Chris Lendrum added: “Our payment model is complex and it has taken time to determine a model that treats all players equitably. The model we have agreed protects those on retainers of less than $50,000. While not all players are being treated exactly the same, we felt these changes were the fairest way to address player payments and benefits, considering all the different ways our players are remunerated.”

Nichol said in addition to consulting with players they have also ensured players have access to quality advice and support so they can act now to best manage the implications of these changes.

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“Moving forward, the players remain committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure the game survives and is best placed to take advantage of the opportunity to get back up and running as soon as is safely possible,” said Nichol.

Robinson added everyone was putting their best foot forward for when the sport could kick off again.

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“The players signalled their desire to play their part right from the get-go and the conversations over the past few weeks have been very constructive. It was vital the sport was ready for whenever we can get back on the field,” Robinson said.

Nichol said they were still working with NZR and Provincial Unions on what would happen with Provincial Union contracts.

Summary of changes:

  • Freezing team assembly and tournament fees for all national teams, excluding the Black Ferns
  • Freezing contributions to the player savings scheme, but retaining KiwiSaver
  • Freezing promotional payments and the vast majority of player performance incentives
  • From 1 May, freezing 15 percent of the players’ 2020 base retainers for those paid more than $50,000 per year, with this rising to 30 percent in September
  • Reductions in funding for other initiatives for players that are funded by the Player Payment Pool while still maintaining insurance cover and key player wellbeing, development and support initiatives.

– New Zealand Rugby

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Flankly 1 hour ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

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