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Financial power in different rugby unions

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  • 27-07-2013 5:43pm
    #1
    bmwguy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,006 ✭✭✭


    Honest question, maybe there are a few Australians or New Zealanders that can clarify this for me. I recently came back from Australia and the lions tour, took in a short trip over to NZ to see a few friends too. Both countries are heavily industrialised with higher prices and presumably higher salaries than the average Irish, French or UK salary I would guess from what I heard and saw.
    Why can they not compete with European clubs when it comes to rugby salaries? Don't get me wrong I like seeing the best players over here but I just don't fully understand it. Does rugby in Europe raise more revenue?

    For example I believe Connacht where I am from originally have signed the Chiefs captain, Super 15 champions and made the final again this year.

    Do they just not get held to ransom by the best players and say take it or leave it knowing they have more talent coming through whereas Europe decides to buy it?

    In saying this I realise Europe is not all equal and its mainly the French pricing everyone out of it. Many of the French clubs are not in wealthy towns or cities.

    This is probably as much an economics question as a rugby one.


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    #2
    CatFromHue
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,145 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    The salaries wouldn't be that high in compared to cost of living, especially not in NZ.

    There's a salary cap in Oz and I think it works out that the max a player can come out with is 400K Aussie dollars. That works out about 280-300K Euro or 250K English pounds. They can do better than that up North.

    The wages in NZ wouldn't be as good as Oz either.

    Craig Clarke isn't an All Black and nor is he on their radar. You'd need to be an All Black to compete in anyway with European salaries and it must be said as that being an All Black itself without taking money into account is a major factor here.


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    #3
    Rightwing
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,101 ✭✭✭Rightwing


    bmwguy wrote: »
    Honest question, maybe there are a few Australians or New Zealanders that can clarify this for me. I recently came back from Australia and the lions tour, took in a short trip over to NZ to see a few friends too. Both countries are heavily industrialised with higher prices and presumably higher salaries than the average Irish, French or UK salary I would guess from what I heard and saw.
    Why can they not compete with European clubs when it comes to rugby salaries? Don't get me wrong I like seeing the best players over here but I just don't fully understand it. Does rugby in Europe raise more revenue?

    For example I believe Connacht where I am from originally have signed the Chiefs captain, Super 15 champions and made the final again this year.

    Do they just not get held to ransom by the best players and say take it or leave it knowing they have more talent coming through whereas Europe decides to buy it?

    In saying this I realise Europe is not all equal and its mainly the French pricing everyone out of it. Many of the French clubs are not in wealthy towns or cities.

    This is probably as much an economics question as a rugby one.

    Sugar daddys and also TV money is probably far bigger in this part of the world, given there is a far bigger population.


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    #4
    CatFromHue
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 18,145 Mod ✭✭✭✭CatFromHue


    Rightwing wrote: »
    Sugar daddys and also TV money is probably far bigger in this part of the world, given there is a far bigger population.

    In France yeah but not in the Rabo and English league, remember there's a salary cap in England.

    There's a good doc, which includes some money talk, on the below link:

    http://www.rugbydump.com/2010/09/1635/life-as-a-pro-behind-the-scenes-with-four-professional-rugby-players


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    #5
    irishbucsfan
    Registered Users Posts: 37,978 ✭✭✭✭irishbucsfan


    TV money is a big part of it. Particularly 6 Nations money I'd say.


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    #6
    Swiwi.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,415 ✭✭✭Swiwi.


    NZ has no big business to speak of. It's different in Aussie with mining money etc, but given rugby is not a marquee sport in Australia, they probably don't want to pour money down the drain on player salaries. Virtually every AB could earn more money overseas, but at least for the moment, most players prefer to represent NZ with a somewhat reduced pay packet.

    France & the UK have massive populations compared to NZ, which generates more TV revenue etc.


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    #7
    Klunk_NZ
    Registered Users Posts: 370 ✭✭Klunk_NZ


    Allblacks who go overseas are quite short sighted. Being an Allblack means you are part of a dynasty. But further to that you have more after career opportunities such as broadcasting/real estate/business if you have the All Black legend figure. Whilst probably being able to walk into most international teams the chiefs skip isnt even in the top 5 locks in NZ and the move is a good option.


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    #8
    twinytwo
    Registered Users Posts: 5,170 ✭✭✭twinytwo


    Klunk_NZ wrote: »
    Allblacks who go overseas are quite short sighted. Being an Allblack means you are part of a dynasty. But further to that you have more after career opportunities such as broadcasting/real estate/business if you have the All Black legend figure. Whilst probably being able to walk into most international teams the chiefs skip isnt even in the top 5 locks in NZ and the move is a good option.

    ya but how many of them actually earn that title? not many.


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    #9
    padser
    Registered Users Posts: 2,375 ✭✭✭padser


    twinytwo wrote: »
    ya but how many of them actually earn that title? not many.

    Yeah, it's difficult to call player maximising their earnings (which really wouldn't set them up for life) "short sighted". It's a very short career.

    I guess there are 25 - 30 all blacks per yr and there average career is about 5 yrs in the jearsey. That means that every year there are 5/6 ex all blacks being churned out each of who have a potential 30 yr career ahead of them if they go into media. I don't know how many of them get well paying jobs in media, but unless its literally hundreds then its far from "short sighted" of them to move north for more money.


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