Money
As with most things in life it comes down to money. Money does what it does, and it’s as important as the things it buys, food, education, medical care. Nothing can take the place of money in the area in which money works. “Money is the harvest of our service.” (See Earl Nightingale). Now that we have that out of the way.
What does this have to do with Rugby?
The wages paid for a job is primarily based on three factors. Yes, there are nuances and unfortunate, union-skewed exceptions that can be argued, but on balance the following premise is ultimately true.
More wisdom from Nightingale coming…
In the market, a job is valued on three factors the service provided (essentially the demand for it), the quality of the service (how well the job is done), and how easy it is to fill the position that provides that service.
This last point is not a judgment of the value of a person. It does, however put a price on the skills a person possesses, along with the days or decades it took to develop said skills, (e.g., cost to train a neurosurgeon versus a barista).
So how long does it take to develop a rugby player to a level that allows him to maintain an international test career? A decade, maybe longer? We can probably agree that the pool for highly skilled players is not that large, and premier players are relatively scarce and not easily replaced.
Not really a matter of quality
For the most part, the WRU dosen’t have a quality problem. Wales won the Six Nations in 2021, and until recently, fielded a strong international side. The problems facing the WRU came about during a period of competitiveness but should not be much of a surprise.
The negotiations between the four regions has been going on for a year, and ITV Wales reported on February 15 that Welsh rugby bosses were warned in November that Test Players were considering a strike.
From all accounts, the big picture problem facing the WRU is that player-salary potential is constrained buy a waning of demand for the entertainment they provide. Sure, the international matches are well attended and clearly the financial backbone of the WRU, but demand at the local level appears to be faltering.
Gimmicks such as zip lines are the equivalent of a struggling restaurateur looking for a quick fix to a declining patron count. It reminds Rafters of a description offered by Anthony Bourdain in his book Kitchen Confidential. “…[restaurant owners] thrashing around in an escalating state of agitation, tinkering with concept, menu, various marketing schemes.”
Scrap the sixty test-match rule
The sixty test match rule appears to be an attempt to save local rugby, in theory, by keeping marquee players in local lineups, it will keep Welsh fans in the seats. This may have slowed the decline in demand, but once again the WRU’s demand problem developed while the rule was in place, so the rule’s effectiveness falls into question.
Keeping players locked into the sixty-test rule while at the same time cutting salaries, not negotiating new contracts, and incorporating a performance component to salaries is a big ask. It’s not surprising that the players have had enough.
Players should be free to test the market. Though a massive influx of players into the larger pool could exacerbate a glut created by the financial culling of Wasps and Warriors last fall. Players who might have found a home in the Premiership for example my find themselves on the street or perhaps playing in Wales.
It would be unfortunate if Wales were to become the place where Rugby careers go to die, but eliminating the sixty-test rule increases the competition for the limited number of slots, which improves the game over all.
Just for perspective, WRU is talking about caps of around £4.5 million. Compare that to the NFL where the salary cap in 2022 was $208.2 million per team (roughly £173.5 million).
Pay for Performance
Though the pay for performance issue may be what keeps players from the pitch this Saturday against England. Rafters believes the sixty test rule and pay for performance are not separate issues.
A bonus system is not that unusual in compensation packages, and winning is a good way to get butts in seats, but players must have the option to sell their skills elsewhere without penalty. The only way the WRU can realistically keep a fixed/variable pay scheme on the table is by scrapping the sixty–test rule.
So where from here?
Its been reported by Sky that the WRU has tentatively agreed to modify the sixty-test rule, though as of this writing, no details have been released. In addition, player representation on the Professional Rugby Board is on the table. These are good things for both the players and the WRU.
Player representation on the board may not provide all the answers to the WRU’s problems, but they bring a perspective that could lead to a solution that go beyond zip lines.
Though, who knows, a zip line may generate some revenue during the week, but the chump–change raised by such a venture will not solve the WRU’s regional demand problem.
Not to sound too mercenary, but other than playing their best games, the players are not responsible for “saving” Welsh rugby, but they should play a role in trying.
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,
Fine Print
Other than a customer, Rafters is not affiliated with any league, team, or streaming/cable service.