Australia’s leading women’s 15-a-side rugby players will earn up to $55,000 this year as part of an historic step by Rugby Australia to begin contracting Wallaroos stars.
In a first for Australian rugby, which will be announced on Saturday at a function hosted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at Kirribilli House, Rugby Australia will hand out part-time contracts to 35 players under the game’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Though stopping short of the Wallaroos going full-time, a $2 million funding upgrade for women’s rugby will see elite players contracted across three tiers, with the capacity to earn between $30,000 and $52,000 in RA payments for Wallaroos and Super W duties.
All Super W players will get a minimum payment of $4000 from Rugby Australia, plus whatever money Super W clubs can or will pay their squads, which is likely to range from $1000 to $3000 for the seven-week competition.
Additional RA funding will also be poured into high-performance programs at Super W clubs.
It’s not yet the promised land of full-time contracts for women’s 15s players, like those offered to elite players by New Zealand and England, but central contracting for the Wallaroos squad brings Australia a step closer to their rivals.
Ashley Marsters of Australia scores a try against Scotland at last year’s World Cup.Credit:Getty
It is also significant in the context of recruiting and retaining players in the face of increased competition for talent. Not only are the NRLW and AFLW rapidly emerging as domestic competitors, with salaries approaching six-figures for top earners, but six Wallaroos players were recently recruited to play in England’s thriving club competition.
Rugby Australia framed the new contracts structure as part of a “push towards making elite Women’s XVs Rugby fully professional”, and said it was the “first step of a planned staged increase in investment over the next five years”.
The Wallaroos were paid per-diem fees on national duty last year but the discrepancy between well-resourced nations and the rest at the Women’s Rugby World Cup was notable. The Wallaroos, who mostly juggle jobs and studies with training sessions at night, did well to make the quarter-finals but lost to England, who ultimately lost to New Zealand in the final.
The effort prompted numerous calls for Rugby Australia to drastically up their investment in women’s rugby.
Sera Naiqama celebrates victory over Scotland at last year’s World Cup.Credit:Getty
Chief executive Andy Marinos has previously said 2025 is a target for full-time Wallaroos, ahead of the next World Cup, and well ahead of the 2029 Rugby World Cup on home soil.
“Australia hosting the women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029 presents us with a great target for women’s Rugby – we want the Wallaroos to win our home World Cup, with a fully professional squad of heroes inspiring the next generation,” Rugby Australia chairman Hamish McLennan said in a statement.
Grace Hamilton charges through the Welsh defence at the World Cup.Credit:Getty
“We saw this team’s amazing tenacity, determination, and fighting spirit as they reached the Quarter-Finals at last year’s Rugby World Cup – this was a performance that will lay the foundation for the future of the Wallaroos.
“Rugby Australia has committed additional funding into Women’s Rugby this year and is pushing hard for further investment and corporate support – and we are delighted to have the best Rugby coach in the world in Eddie Jones providing input into the Wallaroos in his role as an adviser.
“It is just the beginning, but the future for Women’s Rugby in Australia looks very bright.“
England were the first team to offer full-time professional contracts in 2019, and they earn between $39,000 and $58,000 per annum playing for the Red Roses. Most earn good money playing in the English Premiership as well.
Ahead of hosting the 2022 Rugby World Cup, New Zealand Rugby announced it had contracted 29 Black Ferns players, on salaries reportedly ranging from $62,500 to $116,000.
Wales also employs a core of 10 players on contracts $33,000 and a further 15 on semi-professional deals worth $13,000.
Rugby Australia have 12 women’s rugby players on full-time contracts in the successful sevens program, and more on part-time deals, where contracts range from a minimum $44,000 to top-tier players like Charlotte Caslick earning over $120,000.
The new CBA, struck between Rugby Australia, RUPA and the Super W clubs, also contains a parenting and pregnancy guideline for XVs players, in which they will still be paid a full contract amount while on maternity leave. There will also be contributions toward childcare for players with children up to the age of 12.
