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'Any players thinking that this is a ticket to a golden pot, I think will be sorely disappointed'

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Rugby Australia interim CEO Rob Clarke has warned players can’t expect a “golden pot” overseas and isn’t concerned others will try to force RA’s hand, after his organisation released three Queensland Reds.

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Wallabies lock Izack Rodda, fellow second-rower Harry Hockings and five-eighth Isaac Lucas decided to terminate their contracts after the QRU stood them down on Monday, when they declined to accept a reduction in pay and nominate for the Australian government’s JobKeeper subsidy.

The trio’s manager Anthony Picone said the players had arrived at their decisions because of enormous uncertainty surrounding the financial state of rugby, including the lack of a broadcast deal, and ability for contracts to be honoured into the future.”

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Reds trio terminate contracts

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Reds trio terminate contracts

RA and the Rugby Union Players Association recently agreed on an interim pay deal, where the players took pay cuts of an average of 60 per cent.

Clarke said on Saturday a deed release had been signed overnight.

There’s a suggestion the three players may join Japanese clubs.

But if they don’t find a new home overseas quickly, Clarke suggested they wouldn’t be able to play in Australia in the short term.

“If they wish to go overseas then that’s their decision, there’s no avenue open to them in Australia at this time,” Clarke said.

Asked if he could see a time when the trio are welcome back in Australian rugby, Clarke said “we are not looking that far ahead.”

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Clarke said RA could have considered legally challenging the termination decisions, but felt releasing the players was the most prudent course of action.

“Going to court is always a last resort and it’s a brutal ending to any conflict,” he said.

“So you would always like to try and mediate and conciliate along the way to try and get to an outcome that suits both parties, in this case we haven’t been able to.

“We are very disappointed because those players were part of how we saw the futu re but they have their rights and they are entitled to do what they have done.”

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He isn’t expecting other players might try to jump ship and extricate themselves from a contract now a precedent had been set.

“We haven’t had any indication from RUPA, or any other players, that they are looking beyond our shores,” Clarke said.

Cash-strapped RA recently reported a $9.4 million loss, but is getting $14 million of support from World Rugby.

Clarke noted other countries were suffering financially and terminating contracts, but looking overseas wouldn’t guarantee players a larger income.

“I think therefore other options for any players thinking that this is a ticket to a golden pot, I think will be sorely disappointed,” he said.

Clarke said RA had very fruitful discussions with current broadcast partner Fox Sports about the shape of how the remainder of the year looks.

“Those discussions will continue next week and I’m confident that we will get some clarity within a week or two, given that we are trying to kick off a Super Rugby season domestically on July 3 and 4,” Clarke added.

He said negotiations were continuing with Western Force to add them to the four existing Australian Super teams and didn’t rule out Japan’s Sunwolves also participating in a competition scheduled to end on September 19.

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J
JW 48 minutes ago
How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions

Have to imagine it was a one off sorta thing were they were there (saying playing against the best private schools) because that is the level they could play at. I think I got carried away and misintrepted what you were saying, or maybe it was just that I thought it was something that should be brought in.


Of course now school is seen as so much more important, and sports as much more important to schooling, that those rural/public gets get these scholarships/free entry to play at private schools.


This might only be relevant in the tradition private rugby schools, so not worth implementing, but the same drain has been seen in NZ to the point where the public schools are not just impacted by the lost of their best talent to private schools, there is a whole flow on effect of losing players to other sports their school can' still compete at the highest levels in, and staff quality etc. So now and of that traditional sort of rivalry is near lost as I understand it.


The idea to force the top level competition into having equal public school participation would be someway to 'force' that neglect into reverse. The problem with such a simple idea is of course that if good rugby talent decides to stay put in order to get easier exposure, they suffer academically on principle. I wonder if a kid who say got selected for a school rep 1st/2nd team before being scouted by a private school, or even just say had two or three years there, could choose to rep their old school for some of their rugby still?


Like say a new Cup style comp throughout the season, kid's playing for the private school in their own local/private school grade comp or whatever, but when its Cup games they switch back? Better represent, areas, get more 2nd players switching back for top level 1st comp at their old school etc? Just even in order to have cool stories where Ella or Barrett brothers all switch back to show their old school is actually the best of the best?

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