It looks as though Rafters will be catching the train to Cardiff after all now that the WRU and the Welsh player representatives came to terms forestalling a player walkout and the cancelation of Saturday’s round-three, Six Nations match against England.
The preliminary compromise apparently satisfied three of the players’ demands. The first concerned player representation on the Professional Rugby Board (PRB). The second, the objection to a variable/fixed pay structure, and the third, the sixty-test rule. The rule disqualifies players from being eligible for selection to the Wales National side if they’ve signed with a club outside the WRU having not played sixty or more test matches for Wales.
What the players won versus what they risked.
According to Wales on Line, a player selected to represent the Welsh National Team earns a base match fee of approximately £5,300 plus a £1,500 for image-rights. A performance based incentive plan can raise the total to £15,000.
So in addition to their national reputations, the typical Welsh player risked a minimum of £6,800 if they walked out of Saturday’s game. On the other hand the WRU was facing an estimated £9.0 million loss in revenues in the event of a walkout. Now, part of that nine million will be banked for future player salaries, which partially spreads the risk across players and clubs across the four Welsh Regions.
From all outward appearances the players did pretty well.
The agreement to add a player representative to the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) is a pure win. The WRU agreed to give Welsh Rugby Players Association’s Chair Gareth Lewis a seat on the board.
Secondly, the WRU and players agreed to the option of either a fixed or variable pay structure. In general, players will still likely face pay cuts with the cap dropping from around £5.5 million to £4.5 million, but with less uncertainty. Under the preliminary agreement players may choose from either a fixed sum, guaranteeing their annual salary for the year or opt for an 80/20 variable.
For example, a player might be given the option of choosing between £90,000 fixed rate with no bonus or a £80,000 guaranteed plus an around £20,000 in performance bonuses. Rafters sees this option as a sensible compromise.
Finally, the sixty-test requirement should have been, in Rafters view, scrapped, but the players seemed satisfied with reducing the required number of caps from sixty to twenty five.
The rule keeps Welsh players playing in Wales and significantly reduces the marketability of individual Welsh players, because it’s highly unlikely that any club would pay the artificial premium to make whole a Welsh player who would lose money by not being eligible to play for the national side.
From a singularly financial view, the test rule adds a roughly £165,000 premium annually to any contract a Welsh player with international potential might sign. There are plenty of quality players around who don’t come with that high a premium.
Rugby has taken its hits over the course of the last year and the WRU is facing other uncomfortable allegations. This was one more dispute that should have been resolved back in November rather than ignored until the players brought it to a had at the eleventh hour.
Though it’s a win for the Welsh players, it’s another embarrassment and unnecessary black eye to the sport.
Rafters Six Nations round three predictions
Saturday, February 25
Italy (13) hosts Ireland (1)
Rafters Prediction: Italy played the French hard at home three weeks ago, and then put in a dismal performance against England on the road a week later. Ireland is on track to win the grand slam or at least take a points differential provided disaster strikes in their final two matches (Scotland and England). Ireland runs up the points in a rout of the Azzurri in Dublin. Bonus point win to Ireland with a 30+ point margin.
Wales (9) hosts England (6)
Rafters Prediction: England should be licking their chops this week. If they were smart, England stayed focused on their preparations for Saturdays’ match in Cardiff, while their Welsh counterparts were distracted by contract negotiations. Coach Warren Gatland turned his guys loose early on Tuesday and the team was also off training on Wednesday.
The short-term sacrifice of a probable loss to England this week, will be offset by the contract gains over the next six years. It may be likely the adrenaline rush from Wednesday’s win will carry over to Saturday’s match, but probably not. England takes the win in Cardiff with the bonus point.
Sunday, February 26
France (2) hosts Scotland (5)
Rafters Prediction: Scotland played well in the first two rounds of this year’s Six Nations, defeating both England at Twickenham and returning home to Murry field for a decisive win over Wales. Juxtapose that with France’s disappointing first two road games, a narrow win in Rome and a loss in Ireland in Dublin. With that being said the Scots will have their hands full on Sunday in Paris. If the Scots bring their best as they have done in the first two rounds they stand a good chance of beating a French team that appears to have returned to its inconsistent ways, but Rafters is going with the home side. France over Scotland by four.
That’s this little corner of the big picture and one fan’s view from beyond the rafters.
Afters
If you are interested in watching the Six Nations and Premiership Rugby in the United States (live or replays), you can stream all the matches on Peacock. Xfinity includes Peacock with some cable subscriptions.
Flo Rugby offers replays of the Autumn Internationals, USA Rugby, the Rugby Championships, and Super Rugby.
The Rugby Network broadcasts the MLR for no charge,
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