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Super 14 plan to end talent hoarding
Bret Harris | March 18, 2009
Article from: The Australian
THE Australian Rugby Union is canvassing a proposal to reduce the Super 14 team rosters from 33 to 30 players in an effort to spread talent around the country.
Cutting three players from each roster would force players from stronger squads to seek opportunities at teams with less depth, which could help level the playing field.
With no player draft operating among Australia's four Super 14 teams - the Brumbies, Western Force, Queensland Reds and NSW Waratahs - it would be another way of spreading the talent around and stopping teams from hoarding players.
The need to spread talent will become even more crucial if Australia secures a fifth Super rugby team during the present SANZAR negotiations over the future of the competition.
The five New Zealand Super 14 teams each have only 28 players on their rosters.
There is also the potential to cut costs if an agreement can be reached with the Rugby Union Players Association on the issue.
The minimum salary for a Super 14 player in Australia is $55,000 plus match payments of $2000 to $4000 a game, while the minimum rookie salary is $35,000.
This could potentially save the Super 14 teams up to $700,000 a year in player payments.
But under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ARU and RUPA, players must be paid a certain percentage of player-generated revenue.
The idea is being discussed between ARU high-performance manager David Nucifora and the Super 14 team HPU managers.
It is understood a recommendation will be presented to the Super 14 chief executives at their next meeting in a few weeks.
"Nothing definitive has been agreed to yet," NSWRU chief executive Jim L'Estrange said. "It's a work in progress.
"We are looking at ways of doing things better and we have spoken about a range of options.
"We are looking at the rosters and ways to make sure there is adiffusion of talent around Australia."
While the future of Super rugby remains clouded as the three SANZAR partners continue to argue over an expanded competition structure, New Zealand will renew attempts to negotiate a compromise that South Africa and Australia can accept, New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew said yesterday.
There has been a steady escalation of tension among the three SANZAR partners as the June 30 deadline to present the organisation's proposal to News Corporation (publisher of The Australian), before a new broadcast deal, has drawn closer.
Australia and South Africa are at loggerheads over which country should be awarded the15th team in an expanded competition.
New Zealand has its own frustrations with South Africa, particularly over the start date of the expanded competition.
Australia and New Zealand want the start of the proposed 22-week competition pushed back to late February or March, but that would extend Super rugby into August.
South Africa, however, has refused to move its Currie Cup provincial competition to accommodate the proposed 15-team series and even suggested Super rugby start earlier in the year, not later.
It has sold its television rights for the Currie Cup from 2011 until 2015 and agreed to refuse any proposal which waters down the competition.
Australia and New Zealand argue February is too hot to be playing, while crowds don't get truly interested until autumn.
"On one hand of the extreme, you have South Africa who arguably have enough rugby in their country already, a very strong domestic competition that pays a lot of bills," Tew told New Zealand's Radio Sport.
"On the other, you have Australia who are desperate for expansion, no domestic competition and are looking for more and more product, for want of a better word."
Tew said New Zealand was somewhere in between, probably veering to the South African side of the fence in terms of protecting its domestic game.
"But we are trying to negotiate some middle ground and willcontinue to play that role," he said.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...0-2722,00.html