NRL: League heavyweights plot raid of union stars in South Africa and Argentina
The battle lines have been laid as the National Rugby League (NRL) responds to Rugby Australia’s signing of Joseph Sua’ali’i by offering their clubs up to $1m in salary cap relief for luring international or rival code players from union.
South Africa and Argentina are in the spotlight as the NRL looks to lure Springboks and Los Pumas stars into a code switch, with the report stating they will look as far as the USA.
Rewards to sign international stars
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys have hatched the plan that the clubs are now mulling over.
It was discussed at a board meeting last year and was put on the back burner but has since remerged.
The report adds that it is more than just a revenge attack on Rugby Australia for the signing of league superstar Sua’ali’i.
NRL clubs will be given salary cap relief of up to $1m if they sign players from outside the Australian, New Zealand and English rugby league systems.
The initial plan was to raid the South African and Argentine pathways for young talents, but it has been adapted to include the American collegiate football prospects who fail to make it into the NFL.
The NRL also believe that luring established players from the likes of South Africa, Argentina, and the USA will help the code grow.
Rugby Australia boss hits back
Rugby Australia boss Hamish McLennan and V’landys have been locked in a war of words since the signing of Sua’ali’i, and McLennan had another dig at league after the plans were revealed.
“I thought the scary league guys didn’t care about rugby union,” McLennan said.
“Like we’ve always said, it’s a free market, but this shows how worried they are by the resurgence in rugby. It’s quite outstanding, really.”
While several star players have made the switch from league to union, the opposite is far less common.
South Africa and Argentina do have rugby league teams, but union is far more prominent in both countries.
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