IRFU paid an extra €1m to players last season as French and English clubs drove up wages

The IRFU contributed an additional unbudgeted €250,000 to each of the four Irish provinces last season to assist with rising player salaries.

But IRFU Chief Executive  Philip Browne warned that the governing body cannot indefinitely absorb ever-increasing wage inflation.

In the IRFU's 2015/16 Annual Report, Browne outlined the challenges facing Irish professional rugby now the game's economics have been skewed by rich clubs.