Please explain Central Contracting

[TheOvalBall]

I keep hearing it, and google isn't much help in explaining what it is.
Would just like some clarity please.

Thanks

 

[die_mole]

Players contracts are held by the unions so that they have more control of their players. The unions pay a certain percentage of the players wages in exchange for the club giving up a certain amount of control. The idea is that national unions can prevent players from playing in too many club games so that they can be fresh for internationals. Essentially avoid the situation where french internationals have to play 2 club games and five internationals over the 7 weeks that the six nations are played over. I know that the WRU and IRU have implemented them and Eddige Jones is trying to get them in England.

 

[Which Tyler]

I know that the WRU and IRU have implemented them and Eddige Jones is trying to get them in England.

I don't think he was, but if so, then he's already failed. We're in the first year of a new 8(?) Year deal between the RFU and clubs on this.

In England, the clubs hold the player's contracts, and the RFU pay the clubs for access to those players. English rugby is unlikely to see central contract in my life-like, that ship sailed 20 years ago

 

[smartcooky]

I will try to explain to you roughly how it works for us in NZ. If I miss anything, there are other knowledgeable kiwis on here (NickDNZ, Shaggy etc) who will fill in the blanks.

The NZRU owns and organizes the NPC and all of its 14 teams. The players are all contracted to the NZRU (primary) and their Province (Secondary), but their wages are paid by their Province. The NZRU pays the Provinces, but the Provinces are all expected to get additional sponsorship for their own teams to supplement running costs.

For Super Rugby the organizers are SANZAAR, but the five New Zealand franchises are owned, at least 50% in part by the NZRU, and they hold the players' primary contracts, the contract wit their francise becomes the secondary, the Provincial contract becomes the tertiary.

When a player becomes an All Black, if they are nearing the end of their current contract they will normally be expected to extend it, usually to at least the next RWC.

The main advantage of Central Contracting is that the National Union has unfettered access to All Black and fringe All Black players for training squads and auxiliary duties such as school and children's hospital visits. Because they also own the domestic teams, there is close co-operation between the coaching staff of all teams and the All Black coaches. Some players have customized training programs to suit their individual needs.

In New Zealand, the whole structure is designed along a success-breeds-success basis which widely focuses on making the players as good as they can possibly be so that when Super Rugby finals time comes around, they are reaching peak form and fitness. The All Blacks training staff are tasked with extending that form into the Rugby Championship.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Jones along with many other things said that England should get central contracts but this was during the RWC when he wasn't involved with England,, as soon as he became HC he said that there wasn't a need for central contracts in England.

Basically he was stirring the pot pretty much.

 

[die_mole]

I don't think he was, but if so, then he's already failed. We're in the first year of a new 8(?) Year deal between the RFU and clubs on this.

In England, the clubs hold the player's contracts, and the RFU pay the clubs for access to those players. English rugby is unlikely to see central contract in my life-like, that ship sailed 20 years ago

Apparently he brought it up when he was speculated to Be next coach and then was told it wouldn't happen

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...contracts-richard-cockerill-leicester?0p19G=c

 

[ALJ]

I don't think he was, but if so, then he's already failed. We're in the first year of a new 8(?) Year deal between the RFU and clubs on this.

In England, the clubs hold the player's contracts, and the RFU pay the clubs for access to those players. English rugby is unlikely to see central contract in my life-like, that ship sailed 20 years ago

The RFU do have some control over the players in the Elite Squad though don't they?

Kinda looks like Central Contracts by another name but with wider implications/benefits for the clubs.

That said, I don't know the whys and wherefores of central contract approaches in other countries so could be missing the mark.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Jones along with many other things said that England should get central contracts but this was during the RWC when he wasn't involved with England,, as soon as he became HC he said that there wasn't a need for central contracts in England.

Basically he was stirring the pot pretty much.

I think it more likely that he was being truthful initially, before being told to keep quiet when he got the job.

 

[Peat]

I think it more likely that he was being truthful initially, before being told to keep quiet when he got the job.

This. Its certainly at least as likely.

Has to be said, the number of central contracts in Ireland seem to be scaling back, largely because the IRFU seems bent on treating everyone like a centrally contracted player anyway.

 

[die_mole]

This. Its certainly at least as likely.

Has to be said, the number of central contracts in Ireland seem to be scaling back, largely because the IRFU seems bent on treating everyone like a centrally contracted player anyway.

don't they have the right to void any new agreements between player and club, as well as move players around?

 

[ALJ]

This. Its certainly at least as likely.

Has to be said, the number of central contracts in Ireland seem to be scaling back, largely because the IRFU seems bent on treating everyone like a centrally contracted player anyway.

What's the deal in terms of ownership of the regional sides?

I saw Smartcooky saying how NZRU have a large stake in all their franchises and wondered if there's a similar model in place that would allow their approach to be copied (assuming it's not already).

 

[TheOvalBall]

Thanks all. Appreciate the responses

 

[AzaMatt]

i was under the impression that with the NZ central contracts players could be moved to other teams etc by the union? is that not correct. i thought it was a draft type system

 

[smartcooky]

i was under the impression that with the NZ central contracts players could be moved to other teams etc by the union? is that not correct. i thought it was a draft type system

No.

For NPC, players can play for who they like, they just have to be registered with any club within the province they want to play for, by May 1 prior to the beginning of that NPC season

For Super Rugby, each franchise can select and and "protect" 24 players. Once those 120 players across the five franchise are named then the remaining players go into the player draft (not a formal draft like NFL or NBA, its done by negotiation) and they can be picked up by any NZ franchise. Each franchise is allowed 32 players in their competition squad, but they are also allowed to have a "wider training squad", effectively a pool of additional players which they can only use in the case of a season ending injury. The competition squad player drops out (and cannot be used again that season) and the replacement from the wider training squad comes in.

 

[AzaMatt]

No.

For NPC, players can play for who they like, they just have to be registered with any club within the province they want to play for, by May 1 prior to the beginning of that NPC season

For Super Rugby, each franchise can select and and "protect" 24 players. Once those 120 players across the five franchise are named then the remaining players go into the player draft (not a formal draft like NFL or NBA, its done by negotiation) and they can be picked up by any NZ franchise. Each franchise is allowed 32 players in their competition squad, but they are also allowed to have a "wider training squad", effectively a pool of additional players which they can only use in the case of a season ending injury. The competition squad player drops out (and cannot be used again that season) and the replacement from the wider training squad comes in.

it sounds like a pretty good system to be honest. do you guys have any issues with it at all