Kiwi players in row with union over bonuses

THE big story in New Zealand this week is the row between the players and the NZRFU over player bonuses for the World Cup.

The NZRFU disclosed the players' salaries to the media in an attempt to get rugby supporters to condemn the players as greedy.

In response, the players' union representatives said a serious miscalculation had been made in trying to subject the players to trial by public opinion. Unfortunately for the union, the big wins over the last two weekends have encouraged the average Kiwi to support the players against the NZRFU, the public saying the players should get everything they are asking for. The union is sticking to a win bonus of 25,000, but, with the Australians being offered 112,500 and South Africa 110,000, the New Zealand players, with some justification it would seem, say they are being well undervalued.

The fiasco over New Zealand's failure to co-host this year's World Cup rumbles on, and with the Australians announcing a possible profit in excess of 25 million, the NZRFU is left with even more egg on its face.

In reality, it is the NZRFU who have signed a contract with the RWCL agreeing to have the players' signatures before the end of this month without first talking to the players themselves. The IRB and RWCL may be forced to intervene in the argument. A World Cup without the All Blacks may not be that appealing to some of the international sponsors.