Australia’s best players will receive just over £6,000 to play in this year’s Ashes tour – with a warning that some could actually lose money by the end of their time in England.
The Kangaroos head to England next month for the eagerly-anticipated three-match series in a revival of the Ashes for the first time in 20 years. Two of the three games have long since sold out – with Wembley also heading for a huge crowd, too.
But international rugby league’s reputation and prestige has struggled to match that of events like State of Origin in recent years, and that has been emphasised once again by a fresh report from Australia illustrating how much some of the best players in the world will get fairly paltry remuneration for making the trip.
The Sydney Morning Herald has revealed that the players on the tour will get just $13,000 – around £6,300 – for taking part. That is far, far lower than what they would receive if they were playing in Origin.
The current pay for those taking part in Origin matches is around $30,000 per game: so more than double they would get for the whole of the month-long Ashes tour.
Furthermore, it has been suggested by the SMH that any player wishing to bring their families across to England will have to pay for their accommodation costs meaning that they will actually lose money representing their country in such an historic occasion.
That is a worrying indicator of the state of the international game – but it is highly likely that England’s best players will get even less than that for taking part, if anything at all.
There are subsequent hopes the Ashes can provide a major shot in the arm for the international game in both hemispheres ahead of next year’s World Cup that will take place in Australia.