Rugby: The New Zealand Rugby Union has averted a potential World Cup disaster by agreeing a bonus payment structure with the All Blacks squad just a day before the official deadline.
The threat that New Zealand could have been eliminated from the tournament was averted when the NZRU agreed to pay bonuses up to a maximum of NZ$80,000 (€41,101).
The International Rugby Board had set July 31st as the date by which all countries must have signed up to the participation agreement. With the New Zealand Rugby Players' Association demanding NZ$120,000 (€233,568) for winning the tournament, more than twice the amount tabled by the NZRU, the two sides employed the Department of Labour's Mediation Service to reach a solution.
The All Blacks will be awarded a total of NZ$80,000 per man if they win the Webb Ellis Trophy. The NZRU has also agreed to indemnify the All Blacks against any fines imposed on the players during the tournament.
"Both parties have met in the middle in terms of the bonus payment," said NZRU chief executive Chris Moller.
Discussions over the participation agreements have been contentious the world over, with Australia's players union recently caught up in an ugly spat with the Australian Rugby Union.
Meanwhile, Chris Latham's international season went full circle yesterday when he was reinstated to the Australia side for this weekend's Tri-Nations Test against South Africa.
The inclusion of the Queensland full back in place of Matt Burke is the only change Australia coach Eddie Jones made to the side that suffered a record defeat by New Zealand in Sydney last Saturday.
AUSTRALIA (v South Africa, Brisbane): C Latham; W Sailor, M Rogers, E Flatley, L Tuqiri; S Larkham, G Gregan (capt); B Young, B Cannon, P Noriega, D Giffin, D Vickerman, G Smith, P Waugh, T Kefu. Replacements: J Paul, G Panoho, N Sharpe, O Finegan, C Whitaker, M Giteau, M Burke. (23rd man: S Kefu).
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