RUGBY NEWS:PREMIER RUGBY in England is drawing up a plan that would see players, rather than their clubs, pay agents' fees from transfer deals and contract extensions. The move will come into effect next season if all 12 sides in the Premiership agree. The issue has been discussed at the last two Premier Rugby Board meetings as clubs look at ways to cut back on costs.
Having to pay agents can add 10-20 percent to the cost of a deal, although players will look to increase the size of their deals if they face having to pay agents themselves.
The clubs met Rugby Football Union officials this week to discuss ways of boosting income from next season. The governing body’s management board will today consider a renewed plea from Premier Rugby for six a matches a season to be added to the league fixture list.
The RFU would prefer a revamped Anglo-Welsh Cup, played largely during the autumn international and Six Nations windows but Wales are resigned to losing out when the EDF Energy Cup finishes this season after four years, having been told the Premiership sides would prefer a cup competition involving just themselves if the league plan is rejected.
Glasgow and Scotland centre Andrew Henderson yesterday joined the exodus to France by signing a three-year contract with Montauban, while former Bath number eight Zak Feaunati has landed a part in a Clint Eastwood film about how Nelson Mandela used rugby to help unite South Africa after the end of Apartheid.
The global financial crisis would not affect planning for the 2011 rugby World Cup in New Zealand until tickets went on sale later this year, the organising companys chief executive has said.
“We really don’t know what is going to happen with this recession,” Rugby New Zealand 2011 CEO Martin Snedden said yesterday. “That will become apparent to us within the next 12 months when we begin selling the tickets.”
While specific details of the ticketing strategy had yet to be announced, sales to international fans travelling to the September 9th-October 23rd event in 2011 would be a key driver of the projected NZ$280 million (€117 million) revenue from tickets.
The host union is only allowed to keep ticket revenue, with the International Rugby Board keeping all commercially-generated revenue.
