World Cup-winning Bok duo take permanent pay cuts
SPOTLIGHT: Two of South Africa’s World Cup winners have been tied down by Sale Sharks for ‘next three or four years’ after all the squad members agreed to take permanent pay cuts.
The English top-flight side becomes the first Premiership club to take permanent pay cuts in line with the Premiership’s new salary cap rules.
Many players in England’s top-flight clubs, including Sale, had taken temporary 25 percent wage cuts in response to the coronavirus outbreak which forced the suspension of the 2019/20 season.
Last week, English clubs unanimously voted to reduce the salary cap ceiling from £6.4-million (US$8-million) to £5-million for the 2020/21 campaign until 2023-2024, meaning that players from across the league have to agree to permanent salary cuts.
This has sparked a furious row between the clubs and the Rugby Players’ Association, with the latter even threatening with legal actions and a players’ strike.
*Also read: Premiership on brink of strike
However, in the latest development Sale Sharks released an officials statement, revealing the club and players are in “full support of the unanimous decision by all thirteen clubs to reduce the salary cap ahead of the 2021/22 season,”
The statement added: “This decision has been reached due to the financial impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and Sale Sharks is committed to a collaborative approach, alongside the other stakeholders of Premiership Rugby, to ensure the long-term future and financial sustainability of professional rugby in England,”
Sale Sharks also confirmed that their current playing squad will stay together for “the next three or four years” with every single member of staff, including players like Springboks Faf De Klerk and Lood de Jager and England loose forward Tom Curry.
“The club has reached an agreement with every single player regarding amended terms to their contracts to facilitate this and that our squad will remain together for the next three or four years,”
Other South Africans currentley on Sale Sharks roster are Jean-Luc, Dan and Robert du Preez, Akker van der Merwe, Coenie Oosthuizen, Rohan Janse van Rensburg and Jono Ross.
*READ the Full statement below…
