THE future of the game played in heaven is in jeopardy in Mount Isa if rugby union’s governing body doesn’t reverse a money grab to increase player fees.
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Mount Isa Rugby Union will be forced to abide by exorbitant increases implemented by Australian Rugby Union – a move which could cripple the sport in the bush.
In figures released by the ARU, prices will skyrocket with registration costs for senior players costing $173 a season. The ARU registration cost would be an additional cost to club fees, which can be up to $200.
The changes come as part of ARU’s National Participation Game Plan: Transforming Our Game for Future Generations brochure.
The ARU has justified the money grab by saying players will have access to better pricing, infrastructure and rebates through Queensland Rugby, as well as access to $20,000 worth of funding.
It’s unlikely a small, four-club competition in a remote part of Queensland would see any of the money or infrastructure listed in the ARU’s validation of the fee hike.
Mount Isa Rugby Union officials met last night to discuss the future of the competition and the impact of the changes.
The changes will hit the competition hard with considerable variances of player numbers week-in, week-out due to shift work.
Many players are only available to play half of the scheduled games in the season due the shift work, meaning most will opt not to paly due to the new costs burdened on players.
Queensland has the most state participants in the sport, with 296,356 registered players currently, through schools, clubs, rookies, sevens and entry-level participants.
But these changes don’t take into consideration the blue collar, weekend player who dons the boots for the love of the game.
The ARU has disclosed its financial issues and the new cost measures appear to be giving preferential treatment to million-dollar players such as Kurtley Beale and Israel Folau.
Despite the estimated growth of 27.5 per cent to have 615,000 participants nationwide, these changes are supposed to renew the focus of the sport through expansion.
The ARU states in its new plan: “rugby must continue to invest in the game locally, while continuing to expand its footprint into new markets and regions”.
“By moving rugby to an individual participant registration and online payment system, the ARU aims to provide a more sustainable way to distribute costs across the sport,” the plan stated.