Rugby Players' Association: "It is a sad day in the history of rugby that the game finds itself in this position"
Friday 12 June 2020 19:14, UK
The Rugby Players' Association (RPA) have denied threatening strike action after being accused by Premiership clubs of seeking to "sow division and create uncertainty" amid a dispute over salary reductions.
All top-flight clubs agreed on Monday - without consulting the RPA - to cut the league's salary cap on senior wage bills from £6.4m to £5m from the start of the 2021-22 season, with the previous amount to be restored at the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign at the latest.
In March the majority of top-flight players took a temporary 25 per cent pay cut to help ease the burden caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but attempts in May to make the reduction permanent were blocked.
Harlequins prop and RPA chairman Mark Lambert refused to rule out the possibility of a strike because of the salary cap reduction on Wednesday, and claimed some players are being forced into signing contracts against their will, prior to a league deadline next week.
In an increasingly messy situation, the clubs appear to have joined the RPA in bypassing Premiership Rugby's administrative arm, the RPL, with Friday's statement a direct release.
In it, they accused the RPA of having backtracked from initially deeming a 25 per cent salary cut as "reasonable", and said by refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement in April, the RPA's inaction had left clubs facing "significant financial losses" and with "no choice but to act in unison".
"We are disappointed by the position taken by the Rugby Players' Association (RPA) at a time when a mutual understanding of the challenges ahead is required," the statement read.
"Player welfare is of high priority to the clubs, and our growing concern is that individuals are not receiving appropriate advice at this current time.
"For example, the RPA urging players not to negotiate a compromise, privately threatening strike action and publicly opposing reductions without offering any feasible solutions has resulted in a predicament that suits nobody - not the league, the clubs, the players' union or the players themselves.
"Rather than provide support for their members, the RPA have served to sow division and create uncertainty during a critical period that could define the future of professional rugby in the UK."
However, later on Friday, the RPA described the clubs' claims as "factually incorrect" and warned "the current unreasonable approach that the clubs are taking will continue to cause substantial long-term damage to player and club relations going forward."
The RPA said it had already called for "independent mediation" to help find a resolution and the offer "remains on the table".
The RPA statement read: "It is a sad day in the history of rugby that the game finds itself in this position. PRL and the clubs have decided to publicly criticise the RPA and, by doing so, personally attack players and their representatives. Throughout this crisis both the RPA and players have been open to a collaborative and positive solution to address the long-term financial viability of the game.
"Our Players Board met on the 26th May to receive a formal proposal from PRL regarding the future of the game. In reality, the proposal was singularly for immediate and permanent pay cuts. Our Board voted unanimously against that proposal. To suggest there have been any other agreements in relation to permanent pay cuts is complete fabrication.
"On the 22nd April, a non-disclosure agreement was sent to the RPA but categorically did not include any financial information and no deadline for response. To reiterate, at no point has the RPA been provided with any detailed financial information from PRL or the clubs. This NDA was not signed and could never be without RPA Players Board approval.
"The RPA have never threatened strike action and would not recommend this as an appropriate course of action."
The dispute continues amid plans for the division to resume matches on August 15.
Exeter Chiefs lead the Premiership on 45 points, five points ahead of second-placed Sale in the league table.
