GAA and GPA agree four-year extension to existing agreement

The GAA and the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) have jointly announced a new four-year extension to their existing agreement, approved by Central Council over the weekend.

There are however some changes to the protocols, expenses incurred by players in preparing for the inter-county game to be covered in a separate players’ charter, which will be negotiated separately in 2021.

However the new agreement, first approved on a one-year extension last year, will maintain the 15 per cent share of net commercial revenue allocated to the GPA from the GAA annually; but the minimum guarantee of €2.5m annually, which was part of the 2016 agreement, is no longer included.

In a joint statement, they said: “The agreement follows a lengthy period of negotiations after the last arrangement was initially extended by one year.

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“The new agreement will maintain the 15 per cent share of net commercial revenue allocated to the GPA from the GAA annually and is designed to encourage the two associations to work in partnership to develop commercial revenues to their full potential. This will in turn allow for enhanced investment in all areas of Gaelic games including the off-field lives of inter-county players.

“Expenses incurred by players in preparing for the inter-county game will be covered in a separate players’ charter, which will be negotiated separately in 2021.

“Both the GAA and the GPA would like to acknowledge all of those involved in the process from both organisations and look forward to enhanced future cooperation for the benefit of both our inter-county player base and the wider association.”

The percentage of GAA funding that the GPA can spend on administration costs will also come down from 25 per cent to 20 per cent. The player mileage rate had increased from 50 cent to 62.5 cent per mile, before being cut back to 50 cent for the current inter-county season given the impact of the pandemic.