Leaked letter reveals the ground rules for Welsh players' pay deferral

Wales players have outlined the ground rules for a 25 per cent WRU pay deferral  - not a pay cut - that would last until August 2020. 

Following a recent change in the way Welsh players are paid, the WRU pays 80 per cent of the salaries of the 38 top-ranking players, while the regions they play for cover the remaining 20 per cent. Other players are paid entirely by the regions.

Wales coach Wayne Pivac and WRU chief executive Martyn Phillips have each taken a 25 per cent pay cut, while the WRU also announced that other non-playing staff members are taking a 10 per cent wage cut.

There has yet to be an agreement with the players, however, the latest development being a leaked letter winding up getting published on the walesonline.co.uk website.

Written by Barry Cawte, chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Players Association (WRPA) and dated April 2, it read: “The WRPA executive committee have now unanimously agreed on a position in relation to the WRPA’s proposal to help address the financial situation facing the game in Wales, due to the current Covid-19 pandemic.

“With the fixed-term nature of our members’ contracts, and considering the uncertainty of the current playing situation, the executive committee have decided that the below is the most appropriate and efficient solution to help aid the financial uncertainty currently being faced.

“A deferral of 25 per cent of monthly gross basic salaries for the next five months (April to August 2020) across all male professional players in Wales who are WRPA members. These deferred sums are to be paid to players unconditionally and in full by April 30 2021;

“However, the first £25,000 of each player’s annual gross basic salary should be protected and should not be subject to any deferral. This is to help protect those in a potentially vulnerable position;

“In addition, if a player’s employment contract should end, or if a player does not renew their current contract, all deferred monies should be paid immediately upon conclusion of their current contract.”