Rugby: IRB ignores the little guys again

IRPA chief executive Rob Nichol. Photo / Getty Images

Rugby's elite nations are celebrating their World Cup windfall just as the extent of the injustices being suffered by second tier countries is coming to light.

The game's richest nations have secured almost $20 million each in compensation payments, while the likes of near-bankrupt Samoa, Fiji and Namibia can't gain any traction to even talk about introducing a basic minimum payment for all players at the next World Cup.

The 2011 World Cup made a profit of more than $200 million and yet it's estimated that almost half the 600 selected players lost money or made serious financial sacrifices to be in New Zealand.

Outside the top 10 teams, the bulk of the players competing in New Zealand last year were amateurs, reliant on generous employers, goodwill and their own savings to be taking part.

The International Rugby Players' Association has been pushing the IRB to introduce a flat payment to be made to all selected players but has so far been firmly rejected.

"We are not talking about a lot of money," says IRPA chief executive Rob Nichol. "We have presented a model that recognises the contribution of all athletes. This is a tournament that generates hundreds of millions of dollars and there are some players who are not even on a daily rate. We would like to see a payment that is the same for everyone - regardless of how far a country progresses."

The concern for the IRPA is that the credibility of the World Cup is built on the growth of the emerging nations. The number of potential champions has to expand from five countries and there has to be evidence that the likes of Samoa, Georgia, Russia, Canada and the United States are heading towards parity with the weaker established nations.

It's a stretch to believe the improvements will happen if vast numbers of players have to consider the financial implications of being at the World Cup.

However, the message coming from the already well-resourced, established countries is clear - they feel every World Cup problem is now solved.

They got what they wanted - financial compensation for the revenue they lose every fourth year as a result of not hosting June tests and truncating the Tri Nations and soon to be Rugby Championship.

Last year, New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew made loose threats about the All Blacks boycotting the 2015 event unless they were looked after. He estimated the NZRU lost about $15m in revenue in World Cup years - a figure they couldn't suffer indefinitely.

The IRB agreed to compensate the leading Southern Hemisphere nations with a one-off $6m pay-out while making up to $10m available to be split between the Sanzar nations and Argentina in 2015.

Fears are also increasing among lower-ranked nations that the decision to push the 2015 tournament's start date back from September 4 to September 18 will make it even harder for them to secure access to their best players.

Despite the global recognition of the player release window and the legal requirement of clubs not to prevent anyone from participating at the tournament, Samoa are believed to have been denied access to a couple of players they would have liked for the 2011 World Cup.

The exact reasons why aren't known - it is an age-old problem that clubs secretly pressure players from the emerging nations not to play at the World Cup. The European club season is in full flow and, with clubs unable to pick their international players from the established nations (there is no way they can be bullied into forfeiting the tournament) they rely on players from Tier Two nations to play a prominent role in that period.

It's a murky business but it's made clear to some players that they will be financially penalised if they go to the World Cup or encounter problems when it comes to extending a contract.

Nichol says the IRPA is now in dialogue with many clubs across the globe in the hope that direct contact will lead to better outcomes.