Rugby Union Players Association
Encyclopedia
The Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA) is the representative body for professional rugby union
players in Australia
. It was formed in October 1995 in response to the professionalism of rugby.
, NSWRU, QRU and the ACTRU
agreed to support the establishment of a players’ association and to loan it $10,000.00 for set up costs and to allow it distribute television revenue. The RUPA was established and the following month, an initial steering committee made of Tony Dempsey, Ewen McKenzie
, George Gregan
, Damien Smith, Mark Harthill, Tim Kava, Rod McCall
and Rod Kafer
was formed with Dempsey being elected President in December 1995. Dempsey remained as president until the end of 2009 when he resigned and was replaced by Omar Hassanein as acting chief.
on behalf of its members with their employers. There have been three agreements:
accreditation, occupational health and safety, compulsory tertiary educationas well as improvement of the employment conditions for all players.
in 2001.
player each season. The John Eales Medal is awarded to the player judged by his peers as the team’s outstanding player. The inaugural John Eales Medal was won in 2002 by George Smith who won it again in 2008.
, (RPA
), South Africa
, New Zealand
and France
. In 2003 they were joined by the Irish
and Welsh
bodies, IRUPA and WRPA. In 2006, the Scottish players body SRPA also became members. It’s objectives are to promote, advance and protect the interest and objects of its members and to be the representative voice of all members on issues of importance to the international professional game.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
players in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It was formed in October 1995 in response to the professionalism of rugby.
Members
Its members comprise the following:- Players on the Australia national rugby union teamAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
(the Wallabies). - Players for the country's five Super Rugby sides: the NSW WaratahsNew South Wales WaratahsThe New South Wales Waratahs are an Australian rugby union football team, representing the majority of New South Wales in the Super 15 Super Rugby competition...
, Queensland RedsQueensland RedsThe Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
, Brumbies, Western ForceWestern ForceWestern Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
and the Melbourne RebelsMelbourne RebelsThe Melbourne Rebels are a professional rugby union team based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. They are the first privately owned professional rugby union team in Australia...
. - Players in the State Union Academies.
- All past professional players in Australia since 1996.
History
In August 1995, the ARUAustralian Rugby Union
The Australian Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Australia. It was founded in 1949 and is a member of the International Rugby Board the sport's governing body. It consists of eight member unions, representing each state and territory...
, NSWRU, QRU and the ACTRU
ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union
The ACT and Southern NSW Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Australian Capital Territory and southern regions of New South Wales. The union is represented by one team in the Super 14 competition, the Brumbies...
agreed to support the establishment of a players’ association and to loan it $10,000.00 for set up costs and to allow it distribute television revenue. The RUPA was established and the following month, an initial steering committee made of Tony Dempsey, Ewen McKenzie
Ewen McKenzie
Ewen James Andrew McKenzie is a former Australian Rugby Union prop and now professional coach, currently with the Queensland Reds who won the 2011 premiership...
, George Gregan
George Gregan
George Musarurwa Gregan AM is an Australian rugby union halfback who has made more appearances for his national team than any other player in the sport's history....
, Damien Smith, Mark Harthill, Tim Kava, Rod McCall
Rod McCall
Roderick James McCall is a former Australian rugby union lock. McCall played for Australia from 1989 to 1995, including winning the 1991 Rugby World Cup. He played 40 times in total for Australia...
and Rod Kafer
Rod Kafer
Rodney "Rod" B. Kafer was a rugby union player for the ACT Brumbies and the Australian Wallabies. He is remembered by Brumbies fans for kicking a drop-goal in the final minute in a 2001 game against the Cats giving the Brumbies a one point win...
was formed with Dempsey being elected President in December 1995. Dempsey remained as president until the end of 2009 when he resigned and was replaced by Omar Hassanein as acting chief.
Objectives
RUPAs objectives are:- Provision of an Association that promotes and advances Rugby Union.
- Promotion and protection of the interests and safeguarding rights of members.
- To secure and maintain freedom from unjust and unlawful rules and regulations affecting member's careers.
- Assisting Members in securing employment.
- Obtaining member benefits.
- To provide legal advice and legal assistance.
- Election of Members as directors to the Boards of Directors of the ARU, ACTRU, NSWRU, QRU and WARU Boards.
Collective Bargaining
RUPA engages in collective bargainingCollective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
on behalf of its members with their employers. There have been three agreements:
First Collective Bargaining Agreement
In October 1997 RUPA negotiated its first collective bargaining agreement with the ARU, NSWRU, QRU and ACTRU that provided a regulatory framework for the employment of professional rugby players in. Key features of this collective bargaining agreement included:-- A minimum wage for Super 12 players and a standard player contract.
- An increase in death and total disability insurance for players.
- It established a joint committee on players’ safety and welfare and an 8 week lay off period each year for players.
- A career training scheme to provide players with vocational and career skills after rugby was established.
- Dispute resolution procedures.
- A requirement that rugby bodies pay 25% of player generated revenue to players each year.
Second Collective Bargaining Agreement
A second Collective Bargaining Agreement was implemented in April 2001 that expanded on the 1997 Agreement. Key features of this Agreement included:- An increase in the players’ share of player generated revenue from 25% to 30%.
- An increase in the average salary per player from $120,000 to $138,000 as well as an increase in minimum salary from $28,940 to $45,000.
- Revenue sharing in use of players’ signatures on memorabilia and increased protection of players’ images.
- Career Training Scheme funding went from $110,000 to $550,000
Third Collective Bargaining Agreement
A Third Collective Bargaining Agreement came into place in December 2004. This agreement addressed issues surrounding player burnout, agentSports agent
A sports agent procures and negotiates employment and endorsement contracts for an athlete.In return, the sports agent generally receives between 4 and 10% of the athlete's playing contract, and 10 to 20% of the athlete's endorsement contract, though these figures vary...
accreditation, occupational health and safety, compulsory tertiary educationas well as improvement of the employment conditions for all players.
Awards
The Medal for Excellence
RUPA award the Rugby Medal for Excellence to the Australian player who is voted by his peers as having excelled both on and off the field during the season. All full time professional players who are members of RUPA are eligible to vote. The inaugural winner was George GreganGeorge Gregan
George Musarurwa Gregan AM is an Australian rugby union halfback who has made more appearances for his national team than any other player in the sport's history....
in 2001.
The John Eales Medal
In June 2002 the ARU and RUPA jointly launched an award to honour the game’s best WallabyAustralia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
player each season. The John Eales Medal is awarded to the player judged by his peers as the team’s outstanding player. The inaugural John Eales Medal was won in 2002 by George Smith who won it again in 2008.
National Player Development Manager
The Australian Rugby Union and The Rugby Union Players Association and jointly Jointly appointed a National Player Development Manager in July 2001. The Player Development Manager includes support in areas of career and education, career placement program, financial and legal support and personnel counselling for players.Player Services Manager
In October 2003 RUPA appointed a Manager of Player Services whose role it is to enhance the overall level of membership benefits including implementation of Player Agent Accreditation Scheme and the development of the ARU/RUPA Player Safety and Welfare Committee.Occupational Health and Safety Committee
The first OHS Committee meeting was held in 2005 to recommend to the rugby bodies how to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all professional players.International Rugby Players Association
RUPA was a founding member of the International Rugby Players’ Association (IRPA). IRPA’s members include the Player Associations from EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, (RPA
The Professional Rugby Players' Association
The Rugby Players Association is a trade union representing athletes who currently play or have played rugby union in England at a professional or semi-professional level. Established in 1998, it was originally called the Professional Rugy Players' Association ; in October 2009 it changed its name...
), South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In 2003 they were joined by the Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
bodies, IRUPA and WRPA. In 2006, the Scottish players body SRPA also became members. It’s objectives are to promote, advance and protect the interest and objects of its members and to be the representative voice of all members on issues of importance to the international professional game.