Cup cash dispute deepens

By WYNNE GRAY

SYDNEY - The All Blacks and their New Zealand Rugby Union employers are millions of dollars apart in their testy negotiations about World Cup bonus payments.

While the Rugby Players' Association claims the players will not boycott the tournament, the huge financial disparity between the parties and next Thursday's signature deadline has created huge tension.

The Herald understands the association wants the 30 players to each pocket a $120,000 bonus for winning the World Cup, against the NZRU's maximum offer of $50,000 each.

It has left New Zealand rugby facing its greatest crisis since the bitter WRC wrangle in 1995, and once again Jock Hobbs is a central figure in the dispute.

Eight years ago Hobbs was used as a special NZRU negotiator and he persuaded the players not to sign with the rebel WRC troupe.

Hobbs subsequently lost his place on the union, but was voted in as chairman last year when the board was replaced after the World Cup hosting rights debacle.

Hobbs and chief executive Chris Moller have stayed in Sydney instead of travelling home from the Tri-Nations match in South Africa, to have further discussions with player agents and the association's chief executive, Rob Nichol.

All Black coach John Mitchell said the dispute was not affecting preparations for the Bledisloe Cup. He admitted he and the team management had met Moller to discuss the standoff.

It seems the NZRU has little intention of moving from their highest offer of $50,000 a player, believing that they had a verbal agreement on this with the association.

Sources indicated the union was considering activating contracts with the next-best 30 players as a contingency plan for the World Cup.

That could revive the hopes of discards such as Christian Cullen, Taine Randell, Anton Oliver and Andrew Mehrtens.

If the World Cup participation agreement is not signed by next Thursday, the union could face a fine of £100,000 ($278,000).

The Herald understands the players' association wants a $120,000 winning bonus for each player, a figure that would have the NZRU shelling out $3.6 million if the All Blacks take the trophy.

Before the side travelled to South Africa, the union increased their bonus offer by $10,000 a player to $50,000, but that was withdrawn when the players refused to sign it as part of their World Cup participation agreement.

In February, the union offered a $40,000 win bonus and believed that was acceptable to the players' association, as long as several other clauses in the participation agreement were dealt with.

The NZRU later agreed to indemnify the players and cover their costs in relation to a couple of those tournament details.

The deal remained unsigned early this month and after discussions with the players' association, the union increased their offer by $10,000 a player.

It was presented to the All Blacks before they flew out for the opening Tri-Nations test, with a deadline of a week for their signatures. That did not happen and the offer was rescinded.

The NZRU argues that it cannot cut into any more of its finances for one group of players when it needs to help the sport throughout New Zealand.

Having lost the sub-hosting rights, New Zealand had no way of making any profit from the World Cup, unlike Australia who faced a projected profit of A$50 million and could offer the Wallabies significant six-figure bonuses for success in the tournament.

The NZRU had also agreed to foot the bill for the All Blacks' wish to stay in Melbourne for the entire World Cup.