Salary cap proposed for URC

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

Dragons chairman proposing a salary cap.

URC: Dragons chairman calls for salary cap

Dragons chairman David Buttress reckons the United Rugby Championship needs to be operated under some form of salary cap.

www.planetrugby.com

Setting aside that his point is made in the most Welsh rugby way possible (inferiority complex combined with English praising tourettes) I think the idea has some merit. I have grown weary of Benneton dominating their URC rivals and hogging the silverware.

I would exclude salaries of players developed by the club / union and have it only extend to players raised by other clubs / unions up to the age of 16 or 18.

It would assist teams and unions with lesser budgets, soften the impact of currency fluctuations and further encourage player development over player purchasing. It'd be particularly beneficial if it could perhaps be aligned with French and English salary caps to bring more parity to European competitions.

Am I missing an obvious downside?

 

[Leonormous Boozer]

Ask the Welsh regions how to implement it and then implement it in the furthest way possible to their suggestion and we'd be on to something.

Singling out the team who play more homegrown players than anyone else (not 100% sure if this is true but I'd be fairly confident) is a bit silly.

I think the amount of players moving about the prem for marquee salaries is a bit off putting. Singling out George Ford, because I enjoy doing it, he'll have played for three clubs with two stints at one and when he finally was part of a successful project he jumps ship, who the hell wants that?

I think if you have one full season with a club before you turn 20 you shouldn't be excluded from the cap. If anything this will only help Leinster though so careful what you wish for because the Irish provinces aren't buying into a cap unless it's on their terms.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

It's the same issue rehashed again I suppose. It boils down to the fact Wales doesn't have enough cash to support four competitive sides, so they are looking at other options (and inadvertentlyor otherwise talking down the URC). There is zero reason why a three side Wales or a two side Scotland should not be competing with the Irish provinces at the very top level. It is Wales being spread too thin and Scotland not focussing on youth development that have lead to sustained Irish dominance.

Plus, with the residency changes to 5 years there is potential for a reduction in expenditure on imported players and the Scottish and SA sides may yet throw a spanner in the works for Leinster (Edinburgh will be tough to beat if Kinghorn becomes a top level fly half (doubtful) and if Mike Blair's early promise holds). So maybe we should evaluate the impact of that change for a couple of years.

I'm surprised EPCR haven't forced through some kind of cap requirement to be honest.

 

[Amiga500]

I'm surprised EPCR haven't forced through some kind of cap requirement to be honest.

The French would have their head on the chopping block for that.

French budgets far outstrip anything on these islands.


I can see yer mans point; obviously a uniform fixed limit salary cap would be dismissed by the SRU and IRFU out of hand. Just because the Welsh regions cannot get their house in order doesn't mean they should be allowed to drag everyone else down with them.

I'd certainly be in favour of a salary cap that is run as a percentage of turnover of the province/club in question.

There are a few "sugar daddies" paying some of some player's salaries for the Irish provinces - and IMO becoming reliant on that is a daft place to end up in. So ruling it out now is better for long term health of the game.
If it means we miss out on the marquee player, so be it.