Thursday’s rugby news has more player exodus concerns, the Tahs at full-strength, the Brumbies talking up their pressure match and Welsh finances still uncertain.
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More concern over player drain
The loss of Wallaby Nick Cummins has re-initiated the emphatic concern of the Rugby Union Players’s Association (RUPA) that high profile Test players will continue to opt for the outrageous salaries on offer in Europe and Japan, leaving the ARU behind. “Players are no different to anyone else in their own workplace with respect to money,” Greg Harris, chief executive of RUPA, said.
The financial troubles of the ARU have been driven by the competitive sporting market where, unlike New Zealand, rugby is under constant pressure from AFL and NRL. Harris brought up the need for some flexibility in Wallaby selection, saying, “If you’re in a two-handed poker game and you’ve got less money than the other, you’ve got to play it smart. [/one_half]
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Cheika promises full effort
Although the Waratahs have wrapped up the minor premiership prior to the final round of the Super Rugby season, coach Michael Cheika will still field a full-strength team against the Reds, saying that anything less would promote a “bad mindset”. As a result, key starters carrying minor niggles such as Israel Folau, Sekope Kepu and Kane Douglas will not be rested.
“You could [injure a player] at any time, in training or regular games,” he said. “This is a contact sport, you don’t go into it worrying about things like that,” Cheika said. Meanwhile, Phil Waugh- NSW’s most-capped player- has declared Michael Cheika’s 2014 Waratahs as possibly the most complete team in Super Rugby history. [/one_half]
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Brumbies emphasise experience
Despite failing to win a last-round match in eight years, Brumbies captain Ben Mowen believes that the pressure of the sudden death clash against the Western Force will inspire an improved performance and lift them into a finals spot. Mowen said the team had learned from the past and was now suited to knock-out scenarios.
“We got it wrong in 2012, we learnt the lesson and went on a run last year,” he said. “There’s so much experience now, sudden death footy will bring the best out of us.” Scrumhalf Nic White emphasised the need for ACT to increase their physicality and tempo in the weekend’s must-win clash. [/one_half]
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Welsh dispute continuing
The long standing feud between the WRU and the Welsh regions remains remarkably unresolved, with the parties failing to implement a new Participation Agreement which guarantees income levels as well as details such as the terms of the release of international players.
Newport Gwent Dragons’ chief executive Gareth Davies has said that the long-running dispute must be resolved before the start of the season, which is less than two months away. “We have been in this sort of survival mode for the last seven, eight, nine months,” Davies said, emphasising the need to secure a stable funding model. [/one_half]
