Australia’s rugby players are looking for money in the wrong places

OpinionRugby columnistOctober 16, 2026 — 3:30pmOctober 16, 2026 — 3:30pmThe Rugby Union Players Association’s boss picked a bad time to ask for more money for the game’s stars.A fortnight ago, RUPA’s chief executive Adrian Turner went public with his unhappiness with Rugby Australia over a new pay deal, and in particular the issue of the World Cup windfall.Tate McDermott of the Wallabies and teammates look dejected.Getty ImagesThe collective bargaining agreement between RUPA and RA expires on October 31, so time was of the essence. But public sympathy for the players’ cause likely plummeted after the Wallabies were thrashed 50-19 by the All Blacks at Eden Park last Saturday.However, the real issue is RUPA’s misguided belief that this generation of players should benefit from the World Cup windfall just by virtue of being around when the tournament takes place.“Rugby Australia proposes that players do not share in a single dollar of the significant hosting fee it receives for the 2027 World Cup. That is unacceptable,” Turner told this masthead.RA should hold the line here because that is legacy money.The Wallabies pose for their team photo ahead of their Eden Park defeat.Getty ImagesIt’s there to support the sport long after this group of players have finished, or gone back to rugby league or headed to Japan.The irony of Turner’s comments is that it is well known that World Cup years are financially horrible for participating unions, and that is part of the reason why money is so tight for the majority – if not all – nations.Without the World Cup windfall, reported to be $100 million, RA would bleed money next year due to the reduced number of home Tests, and it is my suspicion the 2026 figures won’t be too flash.All this talk of British and Irish Lions and World Cup bonanzas is misleading, as the figures reported have to be spread out over 12 years in the case of the Lions tour, and 20-plus years for hosting the World Cup.The Wallabies and Lions battling it out in 2025.Getty ImagesThey are occasional events that reflect Australia’s superb sporting infrastructure and government support (federal and state), rather than the high-performance excellence of the Wallabies in recent times.In fact, there is still the sense that the Wallabies of the past decade or so have been standing on the shoulders of the giants who preceded them rather than making their own mark.The Wallabies brand, for want of a better word, has been resilient despite years of underperformance, and that can be seen in the great attendance numbers the side attracts.But one look at the Wallabies’ attire, with the hoops around the socks referencing their history, shows that past achievements continue to do a lot of heavy lifting.The Wallabies watch on as Codie Taylor and the All Blacks celebrate a try at Eden Park.Getty ImagesIt’s not that the players do not deserve to be well paid. They do. And Turner makes a valid point about the Super Rugby cap “effectively been frozen since 2018”.But, this playing cohort is still on a decent wicket.For a national team that is ranked No.6 in the world, the footprint of four professional club teams is still relatively big: Argentina have none, Scotland have two, Ireland have four and South Africa have four and a half, with the Cheetahs not involved in the United Rugby Championship but still engaged in the European Challenge Cup.Australian players are also constantly in the shop window for Japanese and European clubs, so they have many opportunities to play rugby, travel and earn.But, for the next generation to have the same quality of experience, RA needs to bank that World Cup to make sure the (expensive) structures that support the game are in good shape.Money isn’t sloshing around the international system. New Zealand Rugby has identified a $NZ20 million ($16.25m) annual deficit and wants everyone in the game to take a 5-7 per cent hair cut, just to stand still.So, that World Cup windfall must be ringfenced. It belongs to no one, and RA must be disciplined enough to stand by that position.News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Friday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.Paul Cully is a rugby columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.From our partners