IRFU offers contracts to 71 players

The IRFU have declared a list of 71 players, spanning the four provinces, to whom they are offering contracts. The announcement should engender nothing more than mild curiosity given that it lacks real substance, in reference to the composition of the four 30-man provincial squads.

None of the 71 players listed have signed any contract, indeed the vast majority have yet to receive the written communication. It is therefore somewhat precipitous to release the names of players who may or may not eventually sign on the dotted line.

The absence of the names of the players who are to be offered national contracts means that it is impossible to venture any substantive comment on winners and losers in the contractual scramble. In a statement, Billy Lavery, junior vice-president of the IRFU did concede: "The negotiation of national contracts is currently in progress and announcements will be made in due course."

Munster have submitted only 12 names from a possible 30 contracts and have not indicated those players that are full-time and those that are part-time. In contrast, all 21 Connacht players named will be offered full-time contracts.

The announcement is misleading when taken at face value in that it suggests that the "outline details of the provincial contracts range from part-time retainers of £7,500 to full-time contracts of up to £25,000".

A player may indicate that he wishes a part-time contract but that does not preclude him from receiving more than the £7,500 basic retainer: part-time status does not necessarily equate to a £7,500 contract.

The provincial coaching management teams will, subject to the approval of the IRFU, be able to offer players anything up to £25,000: whether that is £10,000, £15,000 or £17,000 is a matter for the individual province, as there is no obligatory scale of payment which they must follow. There are just the parameters in which they must operate: £7,500-£25,000.

Match fees and win bonuses were also agreed upon on a scale of £350 to £800. Playing in a preseason or friendly match a player would receive £350; he would be given £400 for an interprovincial, £500 for a European Conference game and £800 for a European Cup fixture.

There is no win bonus for either friendly matches or interprovincials. Winning a European Conference match would command £450, with a marginally better return, £500, for a victory in the European Cup.

This announcement should not deflect from the fact that the IRFU still have not rescinded their policy regarding the repatriation of players from England, even though it is patently unworkable. To stipulate that a player coming back to Ireland must return to his club and province of origin is laughable.

It is difficult to imagine Eric Miller wishing to return so that he can play Division Two rugby with Old Wesley or Geordan Murphy leaving Leicester for Naas. Until this issue is resolved the provinces can't begin to complete their squads, therefore the whole process will remain stuck in self-inflicted shackles.