Australian Rugby Union will impose a levy on all participants next season
JON GEDDES
The Daily Telegraph
November 21, 2014 6:02PM
ALL junior and senior rugby players in Australia are to be hit by a participation fee from next season at the instigation of the cash-strapped Australian Rugby Union.
The new slug will be on top of any existing registration fees and comes after it was revealed that the ARU was cutting all funding to the 12 Sydney premiership clubs in 2015.
Details of the individual National Participation Fee were outlined in a document this from the NSWRU Executive Director Bruce Worboys, a copy of which has been obtained by the Daily Telegraph.
The fees will be $33 for all senior players and $27.50 for juniors,
“Minis”, who are under six and seven don’t escape and will have to pay $11.
It applies to players at all premiership, premiership, sub district and junior clubs.
The move has led West Harbour president Tony Horrocks to suggest the Shute Shield clubs should consider breaking away and run their own competition.
“The way that we manage, administer and develop rugby is changing with Australian Rugby moving to a funding model where every player nationally will pay an individual registration fee and insurance,” the document said.
“All fees collected from the NPF in New South Wales will be utilised in New South Wales through the provision of Education, Player, Coach and Referee Development. This was previously funded by the ARU, but is once again the responsibility of NSWRU.
“NSWRU will not be charging a State Union Fee despite our funding being reduced by $1.5M plus in 2015.”
Horrocks said the other presidents he has spoken to were not happy at all.
“A levy is a good idea, it should have been in years ago, but the amount is a bit startling,” Horrocks said.
“From our perspective the timing is ordinary.”
Another change is that insurance will be charged on individual players rather than on teams as it was previously.
“I get insurance, but the change is just overkill and money grabbing, he said.
“If the Shute Shield had any gumption they would withdraw from the ARU and NSW and run their own comp.
“There is no value, what are they giving us?”
Another premiership club president said the new fees will have to be paid by the players as they don’t have the funds to cover them.
“And how will charging six-year-olds $11 fix the problem?” he asked.
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/au...-1227131097010