Resolution of fees row looks closer

The ongoing dispute between the IRFU and the Irish players over tour fees still hadn't reached a conclusion last night but all the signs are it will be resolved in time for the Irish squad to begin training on Monday for the two-Test tour to South Africa.

"Progress has been made but discussions are still continuing," was all Irish Rugby Union Players Association chief executive Niall Woods was prepared to say last night, while his IRFU counterpart Philip Browne was unavailable for comment.

Browne had addressed the Irish players after yesterday's warm-up game in Lansdowne Road to outline the union's financial difficulties in refusing to budge from a final offer of 4,500 as a tour fee and an undisclosed final amount for win bonuses.

The win bonus hasn't budged from a figure of 3,810 since it was revised (along with match fees of €1,270) and set by the union in 1998, and were the union to sanction any improvement in the win bonus for the forthcoming tour then it would be hard for them to revert to €3,810.

In any event, the very fact that Browne met Woods again last night was interpreted by some players as a signal that the union were willing to reach some sort of compromise solution.

Based on a direct comparison with the tour fees (£3,000) and match fees (£1,000) which the Welsh Union and their players agreed for their upcoming tour of Argentina and South Africa, a comparable fee for a two-Test tour would be 7,500.

The potential worldwide opprobrium and financial cost to the IRFU for not adhering to their tour obligations made the possibility of Ireland pulling out almost unimaginable.

As the International Board's press officer Chris Rea admitted earlier in the day, a late cancellation "would have very, very serious repercussions," adding: "under the regulations of the International Board, it is incumbent on the Irish Rugby Union to fulfil its obligations to tour South Africa, with the best available team. If it is a weakened team, that is an issue for the two unions concerned."

Such is the turmoil within South African rugby at the moment they were almost oblivious to Ireland's problems. The Springboks squad are in camp but have no team doctor present nor a logistics manager. Fined 1 million rand (about €125,000) two days ago by the IB for fielding ineligible players in an IB Sevens tournament, it appears SARFU have retaken control of the Springboks from South African Rugby.

Songezo Nayo, managing director of South African Rugby, admitted that Browne had notified the South Africans of "the circumstances of the Irish situation" last Monday, but added that had Ireland withdrawn from the tour "it would mean we would be in breach of contract with certain parties and if we were unable to replace the tour then it would expose us to massive claims."

SARFU have a television contract with Supersport worth 160 million rand (25 million) which takes in all Currie Cup and Super 12 matches in South Africa, as well as five home Tests, and sponsorship deals with Vodafone and Castle Beer for 20 million rand (2.5 million) each, not to mention gate receipts of about eight million rand (€1 million) for each Test.

The threat to this tour has to be viewed in the context of the simmering row over match fees and win bonuses. This season's Six Nations match payments have not been paid pending resolution of this dispute. The union claimed the players' demands would cost them an additional 500,000 annually, money which they could not afford in light of a forecast deficit of €6 million for 2004.

A bonus payment of 1,500 per player for each leg of Ireland's recent Triple Crown success, a package which amounted to 99,000, will largely be defrayed by a sponsored corporate lunch.

By comparison, the French players received a bonus payment of €22,000 per player for the Grand Slam in addition to their customary payments of 1,850 for a preparation fee, a €1,850 match fee, a win bonus of 3,660 for a home match and €5,500 for an away match.

In total, this amounted to a possible 62,480 per player, compared to a maximum package of €26,090 for an ever-present in Ireland's four wins this season (including the Triple Crown bonus).

Ultimately, whatever rates apply, the abiding lesson for the union from this episode is surely to come to the table and reach a resolution much earlier.

These last-ditch negotiations should have begun in January. Whether they like it or not, the union now live in an age of an employer/employee labour relations, and the employees now operate as a union.