^{Ref - SMH [Viewed 25 Jan 2023]}

NRL NRLW Pregancy and Parental, Health Insurance Clarification

31st Jan 2023

The NRL has clarified its position on the NRLW pregnancy and parental policy, and private health insurance. The NRL has moved to provide clarity in regards to incorrect and misleading statements made on social media concerning the NRLW pregnancy and parental policy, and private health insurance.

The NRL has an absolute focus on ensuring progressive and contemporary support mechanisms and playing conditions for NRLW players who are pregnant or new parents.

The NRL, NRLW Clubs and the RLPA have been working together since October 2022 on a new NRLW Pregnancy and Parental Leave policy that includes the following:

The RLPA also requested private health insurance for both men and women be funded through the salary cap and paid by players. The NRL acknowledged this request, and provided a 10.5% increase to the women’s salary cap to accommodate this request. The NRL and NRLW clubs have also been working to facilitate contract security and multi-year contracts to allow players longer term security. The NRL has respected the sensitive nature of confidential discussions, however, misleading and false information has been damaging to the process.

^{Ref - NRL [Viewed 2 Feb 2023]}

RLPA Statement on NRLW Preganancys

31st Jan 2023

In response to commentary and releases about the players’ CBA negotiations (specifically an NRLW pregnancy and carer’s policy and Private Health Insurance), this is the RLPA’s position on how the last few months have unfolded: The RLPA developed the first Pregnancy and Parental Leave policy for consideration in bargaining. The NRL rejected that draft policy. The RLPA then received an NRL pregnancy and carer’s policy in October, but it was rejected by the RLPA because it was not substantial enough and its coverage was inadequate. The NRL then requested further clarification and information on the RLPA’s policy. The RLPA provided that information but heard nothing from the NRL until receiving its CBA proposal which made it clear that the NRL would not agree to a policy as part of the CBA. The NRL would only consult with the RLPA on the development of the policy – no such policy was included in the NRL‘s most recent CBA proposal for review. The RLPA has again reiterated the need for this fundamental policy to be agreed and form part of the NRLW CBA. The RLPA did propose that private health insurance would be funded through the salary cap, conditional upon agreement to the players’ proposed financial model, including the revenue share, NRLW salary cap and NRL minimum salary (all significantly higher than what the NRL announced publicly), and standardised match fees for all players. Those conditions have not been met. We are in agreeance on multi-season contracts, however we do not agree with the NRL’s position of six (6) month contracts in 2023 and a changing of the mode under the term.

^{Ref - RLPA [Viewed 2 Feb 2023]}

RLPA Threaten Pre-Season Games

8th Feb 2023

The RLPA has sent its players a list of actions they will take if the the NRL do not meet certain demands by tomorrow

These include -

Second CBA Mediator Appointed

13th Feb 2023

A former News Corporation and Fairfax Media executive has emerged as the key figure in breaking rugby league’s collective bargaining agreement stalemate, parachuted into the role as lead negotiator between the NRL and the game’s stars. Brett Clegg, who spent time as News Corporation’s managing director of publishing as well as boss of The Australian Financial Review, has emerged as the man desperately trying to broker peace in the increasingly fraught negotiations. Clegg has recently taken on the role vacated by former Nine Entertainment Co boss Hugh Marks, who was leading talks before taking leave to concentrate on his business interests last year. The involvement of an independent facilitator in Clegg is thought to have helped progress talks, which included NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and Rugby League Players’ Association boss Clint Newton meeting late into Thursday night on key areas of the NRLW competition. Clegg’s intervention has been considered critical to solving the CBA impasse, which has already seen players threaten to delay kick-off times to pre-season challenge matches, cover NRL logos on jerseys and refuse all media requests. The players backed down from carrying out the protests during the first weekend of trial matches, but have indicated they will consider reviewing their position again for round two of the two-week competition, which carries a $100,000 winner’s purse. The RLPA is arguing for about $90 million over five years to spend at their own discretion on injury hardship, medical retirement and wellbeing programs, but the NRL is unlikely to hand over control of such a large amount of money.

^{Ref - RLPA [Viewed 2 Feb 2023]}

Reports of NRL Revised CBA offer

15th Feb 2023

There are media reports that the NRL has tabled a revised CBA offer, after a in-principal agreement was made for the NRLW CBA on February 14.

RLPA Clarification of NRL Offers

16th Feb 2023

There are reports the NRL has presented a revised CBA to the RLPA proposal.

To clarify confusing media reporting, the RLPA has not received a new financial offer from the ARL Commission and NRL in 2023. For the avoidance of doubt:

A financial offer from the ARLC is a total figure that captures all the players’ salaries, benefits and funding for programs. The last financial offer the RLPA received from the ARLC and NRL was on December 23rd 2022 for $1.347bn. The financial offer on December 23rd 2022 for $1.347bn is the same figure that has been reported today as a new offer.

In January 2023, the RLPA sent a counter-proposal to the ARLC and NRL. This counter-proposal did not request any additional money above the ARLC’s financial offer from December 2022. The ARLC financial proposal was recycled and positioned as new information to the media. Given the relative progress that was made during last week’s negotiations, as well as Tuesday’s official announcement of an in-principle agreement for NRLW financial terms, this does not help either party make further progress. The RLPA’s counter-proposal, which does not request any additional money from the ARLC, is still before the NRL and is capable of acceptance. We remain actively involved in bargaining this week. We will continue to negotiate on key areas important to players, including RLPA autonomy and agreement rights on core terms and conditions. There is still much more work to do as we continue to negotiate a joint CBA for NRLW and NRL players which captures all their terms and conditions.

^{Ref - RLPA [Viewed 4 Aug 2023]}

NRL Cancels 2023 Season Launch

21st Feb 2023

On Tuesday, nine days before the first game of the 2023 men's season, the NRL announced the traditional event to mark the upcoming season would not be happening this year. "Due to the ongoing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations, the NRL will not hold a season launch function this Thursday as originally planned," the NRL said in a statement. The NRL remains focused on making positive progress regarding the joint NRL and NRLW agreements."

^{Ref - NRL [Viewed 22 Feb 2023]}

NRL Proposes Transfer Window Change

26th Feb 2023

The NRL has flagged delaying the period in which players can pen a contract with another team by eight months. Under the current rules they are allowed to sign for another club from November 1, but the NRL has argued for a major overhaul preventing any movement for the following year until June 30.

^{Ref - NRL [Viewed 27 Feb 2023]}

RLPA Settlement Proposal

17th May 2023

The Rugby League Players’ Association has provided the NRL with a proposed settlement to the long-running collective bargaining agreement negotiations. Parties were recently encouraged to take the initiative and compromise, and the players have chosen to do that with this settlement proposal. The RLPA is confident the proposed settlement will break the current impasse, improve and enhance player welfare and give the NRL the freedom and resources it needs to grow the game. Importantly, the proposed settlement will not cost the NRL another dollar beyond what has already been agreed. The RLPA has made a range of concessions to allow the NRL to grow its asset base and pursue commercial agreements that will benefit everyone involved in the sport. The RLPA would like to thank its Board for guidance and our player members for the professionalism they have shown in carefully considering the agreement, and for making significant compromises to reach this position. The player leaders of the RLPA are fully supportive of the settlement proposal and details of it have been provided to all members of the Association. We have begun the settlement process this week following members of key parties returning to Australia, and with the goal of reaching agreement by the first Men’s and Women’s State of Origin games. We look forward to presenting the proposed settlement to the NRL before reaching agreement. We believe that this important proposal will cement a historic agreement for the good of rugby league and its clubs, players and fans.

Under the settlement proposal plan, players won't share in any above forecast revenue until the NRL secures an asset base of $300 mil, or at the end of the fourth year(2026) of the new agreement. The RLPA has also conceeded it will reduce the total player payment pools if the game's revenue drops by more than $10 mil under forecast in any year.

^{Ref - RLPA [Viewed 4 Aug 2023]}

RLPA rejects NRL erosion of CBA Settlement following agreement with Clubs

9th Jun 2023

The Rugby League Players’ Association Directors and Members will not accept any erosion of the players’ CBA settlement proposal, and we are resolute and united in not giving any ground in any further negotiations. The RLPA Board met on Wednesday this week to discuss the status of negotiations following critical meetings on Monday and Tuesday this week between the RLPA, Clubs and the NRL. The Board reinforced its desire to reach an agreement, however, an agreement can not come at the expense of players going backwards from their settlement position. Following this week’s CBA meetings, there was clear communication amongst stakeholders that the Clubs (the employers of the players) and the RLPA have agreed on all matters that are specific to Clubs and Players, including key changes to contracting rules and regulations. The ability of the RLPA and Clubs to problem-solve this week was pleasing and advanced us closer to an agreement that gives the players, Clubs and game the certainty it deserves. Problem-solving is not erosion, and the RLPA and Club compromises were made on trust and fairness for both parties. It is now up to the NRL management team to approach our settlement proposal with the same mindset. However, there is a distinct lack of confidence in NRL management’s decision-making capabilities and their ability to be given a proper mandate (unlike the empowered representatives of the RLPA and Club Working Group in meetings). Importantly, the RLPA and players have not requested any more money from the NRL and ARL Commission since December 2022. This was reflected in our settlement proposal and the players’ position of conceding to the NRL and ARLC up to $300m of above-forecast revenue to build an asset base for the game. Our settlement proposal is comprehensive and drafted with due care following a CBA negotiation that has unfairly dragged on for 19 months. This was the first time a proposal of such a form had been tabled in negotiations that contained the appropriate and necessary detail on the players’ terms and conditions for the next five years. Failing further negotiations and meetings, our settlement proposal remains on the table for acceptance, ready to be signed by the NRL and ARLC and ratified by the NRL and NRLW playing groups.

However, as we believe there is no prospect of reaching an agreement this week, it is paramount that we give the Clubs and players immediate certainty. We will work in partnership with clubs on the 2018-22 CBA rollover terms and our interpretation of the NRL’s Salary Cap that is not CBA-agreed. All our positions are clear, documented and in the hands of the NRL. The RLPA remains open to moving closer to reaching a landmark agreement for our code. However, it is now on the NRL to provide more certainty on their positions rather than muddying the waters on all outstanding matters.

^{Ref - RLPA [Viewed 6 Jul 2023]}

RLPA Media Boycott over Stalled CBA Negotiations

5th Jul 2023

After meeting with over 50 player leaders from all clubs last night (Tuesday), players have unanimously decided that they must take action as a result of the NRL’s unreasonable CBA ultimatum. In response to our fair and reasonable settlement proposal, where players made key concessions to benefit the game, the NRL made over 100 unreasonable and unacceptable changes to the proposal. The NRL’s response to our settlement proposal was presented to us by the ARL Commission as a take-it-or-leave-it offer and refusal to continue negotiations. The ARL Commission and NRL have effectively halted negotiations.

Outside of agreeing with us that players’ salaries should be raised in line with the game’s revenues, the NRL and ARL Commission wants to take away player rights (medical information), exploit them (player property), control how they spend their money on player funds and benefits (allocation), and make players pay for things they shouldn’t have to (insurances that don’t benefit players). The NRL’s take-it-or-leave-it response included a raft of changes that would significantly restrict or reduce the rights of the players, leading to an unacceptable erosion of their rights.

Rugby League players take risks every time they step onto the field. The average career is 40 games and it can be over in a second. We cannot stand by and allow the erosion of basic employment rights for men and women. This unreasonable ultimatum from the game’s administrators has forced players to take action that will see all players boycott media obligations on any day there is an NRL, NRLW or State of Origin match. On those days, players will only participate in content produced for club-owned media channels.

The purpose of this player action is to force a change to the impasse in CBA negotiations through delivering three (3) critical outcomes:

Dr. Deidre Anderson AM, Chair of the RLPA Board, said "Thank you for joining us today. I am here today as the Chair of the Rugby League Players’ Association, representing the NRL and NRLW players, to announce a difficult but necessary decision. The players have unanimously decided to take action in response to the current impasse in collective bargaining negotiations with the NRL and ARL Commission. Recently, the RLPA submitted a proposal to the NRL and ARL Commission that is fair, contains numerous concessions by players and does not ask for a single dollar more than what had already been agreed upon. Unfortunately, the NRL and ARL Commission responded with changes that deviated so significantly from our proposal that they restricted the rights of players to an unacceptable level. They also made it clear that their response was non-negotiable and not open for discussion. To make matters worse, the NRL and ARL Commission have determined that in the four months left of the CBA rollover period, they will only pay NRL players COVID-reduced benefits despite accepting the record revenue generated from the content players create. I want to emphasise the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in today. We are witnessing a disappointing breakdown in negotiations, and a blatant disregard for the rights and welfare of our players. This is a clear attempt to intimidate players into a deal that undermines their rights, their voice, and their control over their own careers and players agree unanimously that they will not roll over to union-busting tactics such as what we are witnessing. That is why, from Thursday 6 July, our players will be boycotting all broadcast and media engagements on days when NRL, NRLW, or State of Origin matches are scheduled. This includes pre-match, half-time, and post-match interviews, as well as press conferences and other media opportunities. Further details of the boycott, as well as the outcomes we are requesting from the NRL and ARL Commission, will be provided in a statement that will be released shortly. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the strength and courage of our players, particularly our NRLW athletes, who continue to break barriers and pave the way for future generations. As a woman in a leadership role within rugby league, I understand the significance of their presence and the importance of their voices being heard. Our sport, our players, and our fans deserve better. We stand with them, and we urge the NRL and ARL Commission to do the same."

Clint Newton OAM, CEO of the RLPA, said. "As the CEO of the Rugby League Players’ Association, I want to add to the Chair’s message and provide further context. I would like to thank the recent facilitator of the negotiations for his dedication to achieving a good outcome for all. However, negotiations now require a different approach. But his contribution is greatly appreciated. This issue hits home for me on a personal level. I have lived and breathed this sport; as a fan, player and administrator for as long as I can remember. I understand the sacrifices our players make and the risks they take every time they step onto the field. Their careers can be fleeting, and they deserve to have their rights and welfare protected. Over the 20 past months, we have seen a disturbing pattern of behaviour from the NRL and ARL Commission. What we have seen is a failure to respect the role of the players’ representative body, erosion of fundamental player rights and attempts to buy off players without understanding this CBA is about so much more than money. They have failed to honour their commitments in providing a CBA everyone can be proud of – one that respects the players’ irreplaceable role. They did not properly disclose financial information and payments owed to the players, and disregarded their collective concerns. The players have shown tremendous patience and goodwill throughout this process, but their trust and resolve have been tested time and time again.

I want to be clear that we have been forced into this position and importantly our issue is not with the media. Unfortunately, unless we were prepared to fail in our obligations to appropriately represent and protect our members, the only choice we are left with is to take action. It’s important to understand that this action will be seen by some players as not hard enough, but for now, this is considered appropriate action given the NRLs take it or leave it position, which now rewinds much of the good outcomes we were optimistic about securing.

We must also remember not to let this dispute overshadow the connection between the players and the fans. While there is no game without players, there is no profession without fans. Fans are the lifeblood of this game, and our players are dedicated to playing for them and providing the entertainment they deserve. They have a deep connection with the community because they too, all started their journey as a fan.

We entered into negotiations with the hope of reaching a fair and reasonable agreement that addresses the needs and interests of all players. We made concessions, we engaged in good faith, and we presented a settlement proposal that did not ask for a single dollar more than what had already been agreed upon. Yet, the NRL responded with over 100 changes that would have sent players backward in many key areas. This response was unacceptable with clear erosion of player rights, including; taking away player rights (medical information), exploiting their player property, controlling how players spend their money on player funds and benefits, increase the amount of matches played without player agreement, and making players pay for things they shouldn’t have to (insurances that don’t benefit players). This player action is about safeguarding the integrity of the NRL and NRLW competitions and standing up for what is right. We urge the NRL and ARL Commission to come to the table and provide the players with a fair deal.

As one of the leaders in our game, I am fearful and concerned about the trajectory of our game – with all major stakeholder agreements unsigned, unresolved and unannounced. These include the NRL and NRLW CBA, club licensing agreements, NSWRL and QRL member agreements, NRL and NRLW Grand Final venue and location, and International Rugby League schedule and structure. We need to come together and provide certainty for everyone, this must be a non-negotiable. Let us not forget, our game is the only game in world sport that started due to a workers’ and player rights dispute and more the 100yrs on here we are again except it’s with our own governing body. We are standing up and stepping forward to represent the will and conviction of the players and we will continue to stand firm for the benefit of current, past and future players and the overall health and success of the game."

^{Ref - NRL [Viewed 6 Jul 2023]}

NRL Statement on the Stalled CBA Negotiations

5th Jul 2023

The NRL’s offer to the RLPA represents a landmark deal for the players. The NRL and Clubs have provided substantial improvement in player payments, benefits and conditions. The players will share an unprecedented $1.347 billion in total player payments from 2023-2027. This represents a 37.4% increase as compared to the $980 million total player payments agreed for 2018-2022.

The NRL salary cap increases by 25.4% in 2023 alone and will reach $12.7 million by 2027. The minimum wage will progressively increase reaching $150,000 by 2027.

Introduction of a past Player Medical Support program, Transition and Past Player programs and General Hardship Fund with a combined allocation of $10 million to establish these new programs. An expanded Injury Hardship Fund will be created, with a dedicated allocation of $9 million.

An expanded and jointly managed Wellbeing & Education program will be available to all players with an allocation of $25 million.

Beyond financial benefits, the Players will receive improved conditions compared to the previous CBA including increased mandatory leave and time off; opening of eligibility to play NRL to Supplementary List players; and mandated entry and exit medicals to ensure accurate medical data is kept up to date to better serve the recovery of players.

The NRL has acknowledged the players’ concerns regarding the introduction of a ‘trade window’. While the NRL still believe it would be beneficial for the game, we acknowledged the resistance to the proposal. In order to get a deal done, we excluded the key elements the NRL was seeking for a trade window from its offer. The NRL is disappointed that the RLPA has decided to take this unnecessary action, which is damaging to the game and to the detriment of broadcast partners, sponsors and importantly fans.

It is important to correct a number of statements made by the RLPA today that are incorrect. The RLPA stated that the NRL and ARLC are only paying NRL players the COVID reduced benefits. This is incorrect. The NRL and ARLC are paying players significantly above the contractual entitlements under the “rollover terms” applicable to the 2023 season – Salary Cap for 2023 is a record $12.1m, +25.4% compared to 2022, minimum wage has increased +50% to $120,000. Further, the NRL and RLPA have agreed and signed the first-ever NRLW CBA Term Sheet which provides certainty to the NRLW players for the next five years ahead of an exciting, expanded NRLW competition. It brings substantial benefits to female athletes, including an NRLW Salary Cap that will reach $1.58 million by 2027.

The NRL’s offer provides increased agreement and consultation rights for the RLPA and players, including agreement rights on changes to the season structure that have a material impact on the workload of the Players which includes addition of more regular season matches.

The suggestion that the NRL has not been listening to the players is not correct. The NRL and Clubs have spent well over 12 months negotiating and carefully considering the players requests. This includes recognising the players priorities to provide greater support to players transitioning from the game and support players in retirement and hardship. In listening to the players, the NRL offer meets the RLPA’s request on the Injury Hardship Fund, and establishment of new and expanded funds including the General Hardship Fund, Past Player Medical Support and Past Player Transition Program.

The Australian Rugby League Commission is the governing body of rugby league in Australia and has an obligation to act in the best interests of the game both in the immediate and long-term, including protecting the interests of all of stakeholders in the game.

^{Ref - NRL [Viewed 6 Jul 2023]}

RLPA FAQs of CBA Dispute with NRL

7th Jul 2023

On Wednesday, NRL and NRLW players took the brave step and committed to action in an attempt to drive a fair and reasonable outcome for their joint-collective bargaining agreement after the NRL walked away from negotiations. It was a player-led decision that has created much discussion and questions about how we got here, what the issues are, and how the dispute can be resolved. To give the public and industry more certainty, we have provided answers to some FAQs below. We believe the answers to these questions should also be – why are the NRL doing this to players?

Governing a game isn’t about control. Stakeholders (including players, clubs and states) are allowed to hold the governing body to account to ensure they’re being transparent and leading the game effectively. The role of the governing body is to support stakeholders to make sure we can all be partners in growing and promoting the game. The players’ right to hold the governing body to account shouldn’t be reduced and their power shouldn’t be increased by trying to buy off rights that aren’t for sale.

The key to resolving this is the RLPA and NRL re-commencing negotiations with an agreed independent industrial relations mediator (which we have not had to date). Remember, all these terms below the NRL presented were not negotiable and left players with little choice.