An elite group of All Blacks are in line to join the millionaires club following moves by New Zealand Rugby to give players a significant rise in pay. Photo / Brett Phibbs
An elite group of All Blacks are in line to join the millionaires club following moves by New Zealand Rugby to give players a significant rise in pay. Photo / Brett Phibbs
An elite group of All Blacks are in line to join the millionaires club following moves by New Zealand Rugby to give players a significant rise in pay.
Yesterday's announcement of a new collective bargaining agreement between NZR and the Player's Association confirmed a cash injection of $70 million wouldraise the players' salary fund to $191 million by 2019.
The hike in wages follows a climb in NZR's broadcast and sponsorship revenue and anticipated revenue from next year's Lions 10-game tour itinerary that could reap as much as $40 million.
While professional players across the board are set to benefit, a select few top tier All Blacks could be the first in the national game to break into seven-figure territory.
Captain Kieran Read, lock Sam Whitelock, and fullback Ben Smith are in the commanding position of being off-contract next year and could be the first to fully capitalise on the new salary structure.
Other senior All Blacks such as lock Brodie Retallick and star five-eighth Beauden Barrett have existing contracts but should have clauses included to receive a top-up.
Read could be the first to earn a cool million from his new playing contract alone, with the No8 due to pen the biggest contract of his career to secure his future through to the 2019 World Cup.
The newly available riches could also see NZR present Smith with a deal lucrative enough to convince him to turn down the big-money offers he's already received from cashed-up French clubs.
Barrett already sits among the best paid players in the country after inking a new deal in September that saw him shun off-shore offers to remain in New Zealand until 2019.
• Kieran Read off-contract next year • Sam Whitelock off-contract next year • Ben Smith off-contract next year • Brodie Retallick last year signed a four-year deal through to 2019 • Beauden Barrett signed on again this year through to 2019
