Financial boost for NZ women’s game

A women's rugby player payment pool has been included in the New Zealand Rugby collective employment agreement for the first time.

$4 million has been allocated to the Black Ferns and women's Sevens sides in the agreement, which had been delayed as the New Zealand Rugby Players' Association had refused to enter into discussions with the NZRU until payment for women’s players was put on the table.

The Black Ferns will compete at next season’s Rugby World Cup in Paris while the women’s Sevens side are the reigning World Champions and current IRB Sevens World Series title holders.

This is the first time a women’s contracting model has featured in the Player agreement.

The agreement runs from 2013 to 2015 and the women’s provisions are weighted much more heavily in favour of the women’s Sevens programme, something which has caused experienced Black Fern starAmiria Ruleto state her concerns about the future of 15s rugby in New Zealand.

Women’s inclusions in the agreement:

- Provision of $2.1m from within the Player Payment Pool for Black Ferns assembly fees ($200k) and a New Zealand Women’s Sevens contracting model($1.9m).

- The Women’s sevens contracting model will see at least 16 players contracted on retainers and receiving tournament fees when selected.

There is no mention of a reward for the Black Ferns if they should win next season’s World Cup, though the All Blacks would each receive payments of $35,000 each upon reaching the final and a further $115,000 each for winning the World Cup. This is an increase on the maximum bonus of $100,000 from Rugby World Cup 2011.