Australia imposes Super Rugby salary cap, pay cuts

SYDNEY (AP) The Australian Rugby Union will slash test match payments to players from next season and impose salary caps on the five domestic Super Rugby clubs to curb escalating costs.

The ARU and the professional players union announced a new collective bargaining agreement Wednesday, including a cut in test payments to each of the Wallabies from $13,100 to $10,000 per match in 2014 and 2015 and the imposition of a $5 million per season salary cap for Super Rugby clubs.

Australian international players generally have Super Rugby contracts plus top ups from the ARU, along with test match payments. Player payments have come under scrutiny this year as Australia won just three of its 10 tests against the British and Irish Lions and in the Rugby Championship against World Cup champion New Zealand, No. 2-ranked South Africa and Argentina.

World Cup-winning Wallabies captain Nick Farr-Jones was among those calling for incentive-based match payments, a move rejected by the ARU and the players' union.

As well as the cut to test match fees, assembly allowances for training camps and matches will also be reduced.

The Rugby Union Players' Association negotiated an increase in the minimum individual player salaries for Super Rugby squad players.

ARU chief executive Bill Pulver said the agreement required significant compromises from all parties.

"I've been delighted with the willingness on behalf of the players to accept compromises which are clearly supporting the financial health of the game," Pulver said. "There are a number of new initiatives that we would like to launch in order to improve the future of rugby in Australia, and I can confidently tell you that the players are certainly pulling their weight in terms of supporting a path toward those outcomes."

Wallabies on the RUPA board include Australia captain James Horwill and veteran hooker Stephen Moore.

Horwill said rugby in Australia was dealing with challenging financial and performance issues.

Rugby union became professional in 2005. Australia won the World Cup in 1991 and in 1999 but hasn't reached the final since 2003. In the meantime, its southern hemisphere rivals South Africa and New Zealand have won the last two titles.