Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Genge's breakaway union want 1 per cent of players' salaries

England and Leicester prop Ellis Genge. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)

Further details are emerging from England prop Ellis Genge’s breakaway players’ union, the Rugby Players Epoch (RPE), who have vowed to give their members a truly ‘independent’ voice amid the current financial calamity the game finds itself in.

ADVERTISEMENT

The England loosehead’s new union are pitching themselves as an alternative to the Rugby Players Associaton (RPA), who are part-funded by Premiership Rugby and the RFU.

Earlier this week, all 13 clubs voted for a major overhaul of the current salary cap system off the back of Lord Myners’ review into the cap following the Saracens scandal. There is also widespread speculation that the current 25 per cent pay cuts imposed on players are to be made permanent. The threat of a fight between the players and their clubs just as the game is attempting to return to action could be damaging to the sport.

Video Spacer

The greatest dummy in the history of rugby?

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 2:03
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 2:03
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
    • en (Main), selected
    Video Spacer

    The greatest dummy in the history of rugby?

    With much of the game’s finances up in the air, the RPE believes that Damien Hopley’s long-standing RPA are not truly independent and are not best positioned to negotiate on the part of players. However, the new RPE will be significantly more expensive for members, with a membership fee of one per cent of each player’s annual earning being asked.

    An RPE prospectus document seen by RugbyPass lays out their position for potential new members. “The RPE is not demanding that players be paid more today, just the opportunity to earn more as the game grows.

    “The RPA does great work but isn’t independent. The RFU does great work but made a big mistake. The PRL have grown the game brilliantly, have benefited financially, but didn’t plan for this. We can make mistakes, but we shouldn’t make them twice. There’s no benefit in getting angry.

    “The RPE will work with these organisations to help the commercial prospects of the game, to identify issues and address them together. To work diligently to make sure player finances aren’t impacted like this again.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “Each member will allocate 1 per cent of annual salary to the RPE annual fund,” the document states. 24 per cent of that 1 per cent will go to the RPE as fees, while 76 per cent will be invested in ‘low-risk compounding interest products’. “Every 10 years (or earlier) players will receive 1.2x to 1.9x their subscriptions.”

    For the average Premiership player on £120,000 to £200,000 a year, that will amount £1,200 to £2,000 as a membership fee, significantly more than the £200 currently being asked by Hopley’s RPA, although they would see a return on that investment over time.

    Genge’s RPE also want to take clubs to task on their accounts, saying their union would want ‘independent reviews’ of club financials. “Players should not be joining loss-making entities that do not have viable plans, sinking funds, appropriate facilities to meet salary obligations.”

    Players’ image rights will also be a central tenant to the RPE’s mandate. “All players should receive image rights payments” with juniors players getting 2 to 5 per cent of their salaries, and potentially up to 20 per cent.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The RPE will also offer: “Collective negotiation for the PRL and union framework contracts; collective responses at a club level to salary proposals, advice for personal service company establishment; management of approved supplier panels; and vetting of service providers” among other services for players.

    Genge’s union is not without backing. RugbyPass understands that at least one prominent former England international is helping to raise funds for the fledgling players’ body.

    Genge spoke publically at the end of April regarding the RPE. “We are not making a new RPA,” the 25-year-old told the BBC Sport website: “I think they do really good stuff with welfare in rugby and they look after people really well. But I do feel that people were poorly advised. People were advised from the off to sign the contracts without reading them, almost. Commercially, I didn’t think everyone was being represented very well.

    “So I’m trying to put together a players’ union. It is not to replace the RPA or to combat the RFU. Honestly, it is nothing of the sort. It is just so people can get really good advice from trusted professionals in those specific fields: around commercial and legal.”

    ADVERTISEMENT

    HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Men's Highlights

    HSBC SVNS Singapore 2025 | Day Two Women's Highlights

    Jet Lag: The biggest challenge facing international sports? | The Report

    Boks Office | Episode 39 | The Investec Champions Cup is back

    Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry? | New Zealand & Australia | Sevens Wonders | Episode 5

    Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

    The Rise of Kenya | The Report

    The Fixture: How This Rugby Rivalry Has Lasted 59 Years

    Trending on RugbyPass

    Comments

    0 Comments
    Be the first to comment...

    Join free and tell us what you really think!

    Sign up for free
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Latest Features

    Comments on RugbyPass

    J
    Johnsonfidelis 1 hour ago
    Gareth Anscombe returns as Gloucester makes 7 changes for Bath

    I got a call from a trader for the first time in August 2024. Less than a ”

    I got a call from a trader for the first time in August 2024. Less than a year later, through a fabricated process of baiting me with unbelievable profits, and matching my losses, I was in over $185,000. The platform had assigned my personal broker to me, that called me from time to time to tell me about their new offers. And they said he was one of their top brokers, they further told me the broker had made a lot of people so rich. The broker told me there was an insurance that they get on them, every trade that we do that's secured and we could never lose money, he will put in there that it's an insured secure trade, and they buy the insurance for it. so i was assured, I won't lose any money on if we lose. Okay? But the catch is, you have to bring in an additional $25,000 in order to get that secured trade status on your account. I stupidly did this. Once I hit a certain profit level, I tried to remove money from them. That's when they denied me being able to take out my own money. They also told me to pay an additional fee to bring out my money. I was blocked out of my accounts and denied withdrawal even after i contacted them in various ways. Of course they never told me that additional of $25k from the beginning. So when I heard that, then it was pretty obvious to me that they were running a scam.I was very sad and confused after investing a lot. Earlier this year February 15th 2025, i was able to get my invested capital back including profit and the $25k additional fees with the help of the INTELLIGENCE CYBER WIZARD Assets Recovery (You can contact them below). They offer the best in monetary recovery if you are victim of cryptocurrency fraud, binary options fraud, real estate Investment fraud and many more.

    G-mail: intelligencecyberwizard@gmail.com

    WhatsApp: + 1 2 1 9 4 2 4 7 5 6 6

    Proton mail: intelligencecyberwizard@proton

    .me

    0 Go to comments
    K
    Katy Martin 2 hours ago
    Duhan van der Merwe's Lions tour thrown into doubt

    As a truck driver who spends long hours on the road, I understand the value of hard work. My job demands long shifts, constant focus, and time away from loved ones. To make extra income during my limited downtime, I started mining cryptocurrency. After months of dedication, I finally saved enough to buy BITCOIN through P2P on Binance. It felt like a major milestone. I was proud of what I had built, turning my effort into BITCOIN, an asset I believed in. That pride quickly turned into heartbreak. Someone I trusted scammed me out of $85,000 worth of BITCOIN in a single transaction. I was crushed. I had sacrificed sleep, missed out on time with friends and family, and worked relentlessly, only to have everything taken from me in seconds. The emotional and financial blow was devastating. Still, I was not ready to give up. I started researching ways to recover stolen BITCOIN and came across TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY. I saw countless testimonials from people who had lost cryptocurrency and managed to recover it with their help. Desperate but hopeful, I reached out and shared my story. To my complete shock, TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY managed to trace and recover my stolen BITCOIN within just 21 hours. The funds were safely returned to my wallet. I cannot describe the relief I felt. Months of hard work were not wasted after all. My belief in BITCOIN as a store of value had been shaken, but thanks to TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY, I got a second chance. Even more incredible, their team helped law enforcement track down the scammer responsible. That person was arrested, and justice was served. I could finally breathe again, knowing that the person who took advantage of my trust was held accountable. If you have lost BITCOIN or other crypto to a scam, whether through fake investments, phishing schemes, or fraudulent platforms, do not lose hope. TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY specializes in recovering stolen BITCOIN and other digital assets, even from apps like Binance, Cash App, or Coinbase. Their team is fast, trustworthy, and truly committed to helping victims like me. Losing BITCOIN you worked hard for is painful, but recovery is possible. Reach out to TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY today and take back control of your financial future. CONSUL THEM wa.me/15617263697

    2 Go to comments
    T
    Tulijuanacutler 3 hours ago
    Geoff Parling: An Englishman roasting the Lions?

    For the past three years, I've been involved in Forex trading, constantly learning new strategies and honing my skills. Along the way, I’ve come across many opportunities, but one particular online trading contest left me shaken and wiser. What appeared to be a legitimate contest with a grand prize turned out to be an elaborate scam. I’d like to share my experience to help others avoid a similar trap. It started with an online ad promoting a Forex contest. The hosting company seemed reputable, the prize was attractive, and the website looked professional. Eager to join, I paid a $1,000 registration fee. Soon after, I got an email saying I’d qualified for the next round but to proceed, I needed to cover $2,000 in shipping costs for the prize. Believing it was worth it, I paid. But after that, communication stopped. No prize. No response. Suspicious, I started researching and found out that many others had been caught in the same scheme. I had fallen victim to a professional scam and lost a total of $10,000. Feeling overwhelmed, I began looking for help. That’s when I found a digital recovery service specializing in online scams. I provided all my evidence, and they began working on my case. Thanks to their expertise, they were able to trace the transaction and recover my funds. This experience taught me the importance of verifying everything before making financial commitments online. I hope my story raises awareness about online trading scams and helps others avoid them. Be cautious if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.


    Email: digitalresolutionservices @ myself. c o m


    Stay vigilant,

    Tulijuana Cutler

    44 Go to comments
    TRENDING
    TRENDING All Blacks-beating world record holder calls it quits after 18 years All Blacks-beating world record holder calls it quits after 18 years
    Search