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Dire straits leave Australian rugby reliant on emergency government funding
By Online Editors
Australia's Super Rugby clubs plan to lean on emergency JobKeeper funding as the code braces for a three-month survival period and its players remain in the dark on their financial situation.
Rugby Australia will stand down 75 per cent of its staff from Wednesday until May 1 as it braces for a potential $120million Covid-19 hit.
Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle refuses to rule out cutting another Super Rugby team
The players' union met with RA on Tuesday but was again left wanting more, representative Justin Harrison saying financial details requested three weeks ago were yet to be seen.
“Although RA provided no assurances, RUPA looks forward to the opportunity to assess that information in the near future,” Harrison said.
They are prepared to take a hit similar to RA chief executive Raelene Castle's 50 per cent salary sacrifice, while about 100 RA staff and those at Australia's four Super Rugby clubs also faced uncertain times.
The NSW Waratahs will reportedly stand down 70 per cent of their staff, while the Melbourne Rebels will either stand down or reduce the hours of all their employees.
The Brumbies and Queensland Reds hope to action the $750 per week government JobKeeper scheme announced on Monday to keep all staff on in a part-time capacity, or full-time at a reduced rate.
RA staff are likely to be eligible for the same payment, while they will all return to work if Super Rugby fixtures and July's Test programme against Ireland and Fiji are given the green light.
“The JobKeeper programme… that’s given us the ability to keep, at this point, everyone in a job,” Queensland Rugby Union chief executive David Hanham said.
“What I’ve heard from our passionate staff is that they want to work and serve rugby and assist the QRU through this global crisis. We’ve been in existence for 138 years, we’re not going anywhere.
“But I do think as a code, once we pop our head out of this storm, we have a good opportunity to look at what reform and innovation we need to make our sport smarter, stronger, more aligned and more effective.”
Hanham forecast a loss in revenue of about $15m for the Reds in the next six-to-eight months.
- AAP
WATCH: Rugby Australia bracing for 'significant cuts' after reporting $9.4million loss
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Latest Comments
I didn't mean to sound down on Dmac. Just looking hard at the bench sub's role of providing impact. I don't think he can do that at 15, and the bench is not really about injury cover anymore (you need to maximise it's use more than that).
He's my first choice of any New Zealander for the 10 jersey with the All Blacks.
Go to commentsAgreed. And I don't have much more to say on it, but I had been having one thought that sprang to mind at the tail of this discussion, and that is that it's not all about Razor.
It's not about any coach being "right". I think a lot of selections can become defense and while it doesn't really apply here I really enjoyed that Andy Farrell just gave into the public demands and changed out his team for the change that had been asked for. Like why not? This is the countries team, keep them engaged. The whole reason i've only just finished watching the game was because I wasn't interested in watching any of the selected players against a team like Italy (still actually enjoyed the first half with the contest Italy made of it).
Faz leap frogs a younger half back into start. He hands the golden child the game over July's golden child. He gives an old winger a go, a new flanker and hooker. None of them really did any good, certainly not enough to suggest they should have been promoted above others, but who cares? You won, and you gave the country what they wanted, that's all that matters after all. It's for the country, not the one in charge who thinks they have to have their own pied piper tune playing.
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