75 percent wage cuts, five Bledisloe Cup tests, no South Africa: Wallabies legend's radical proposal to save Australian rugby

Wallabies legend Tim Horan has suggested a radical overhaul of the Super Rugby and international windows while also urging Australian players to take a 75 percent pay cut over the next three months.

Rugby Australia yesterday announced it will stand down 75 percent of its staff for the next three months as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Remaining staff have been offered significant salary reductions or fewer hours as the organisation braces for a $120 million loss in revenue as the prospect of no Super Rugby and no domestic Wallabies tests looms large on the horizon.

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Horan, however, said that the players should take a significant wage drop of their own in order to help alleviate financial for Rugby Australia.

“My feeling is that the players, in the next quarter, would probably have to take upwards of 70-75 per cent pay cut in the next quarter in 2020,” Horan told Fox Sports News.

“Then it probably has to be revised, subject to what content can be played.

“The broadcasters require content to pay Rugby Australia.

“I think the players understand the crisis we’re in at the moment but they just need a little more time to understand where the game is going and what finances are in place to get the game through this.”

RA had hoped to play a revised version of Super Rugby this year featuring all four of its own clubs as well as the Western Force as the normal Super Rugby competition was brought to a halt after seven rounds of action.

However, those plans were scuppered by tight restrictions introduced by the Australian Government on travel and public gatherings.

Horan remained optimistic, though, that the sport's significant following worldwide would allow the game to get back on its feet in time.

“We’ll get through it, we’ve got through big issues previously in the game, over a long period of time,” he said.

“There were issues in 94-95, when the game turned professional and got through it.

“This is obviously the biggest challenge that not just sport, but everyone, globally is facing. We’ll get through it.

“The good thing we’ve got is it’s a global game, so we’ve got sources globally.

“World Rugby makes a lot of money through Rugby World Cup which then provides the game opportunities for the next four years.

“The Australian government, all the professional bodies have gone to see what is available.”

World Rugby forecast revenue from last year's World Cup in Japan to surpass $700 million, although profit from that tournament is expected to be half that figure.

With home tests against Ireland and Fiji in July now likely out of the question and international travel to Europe for the November tests no certainty, Horan offered some replacement suggestions for the backend of the year.

“That might be a modified Super Rugby program, it might be a domestic competition which Raelene Castle announced a few weeks ago.

“Can you play that in July, August, maybe September and then October, November — if there’s not a lot of flow offshore, internationally, and we can’t fly to the UK — let’s have three, maybe five tests against the All Blacks and try and get our hands back on that Bledisloe Cup.

“Those test matches most likely won’t be played until October or November.”

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