Australia's players are preparing for the worst case scenario but hoping for the best as the Rugby Union Players' Association and Rugby Australia prepare to re-open pay talks.
Rugby AU and RUPA will return to the negotiating table in the next three weeks after the details of the Super Rugby AU competition were announced this week.
With confirmation of at least 12 weeks of rugby, and hopes of securing international rugby on top of that, the players' current agreed salary cut deal is set to be renegotiated.
"Now that deal is done we’ll start to have some conversations because Rugby Australia will want to be getting stuck in with some conversations with all stakeholders now that we know rugby is getting back on the field and Fox has committed to broadcasting our new competition," RUPA president Damien Fitzpatrick said.
"So there’s no hard date set yet but I assume very shortly - and I assume it’ll be before the players are back on the field that we begin those conversations.
Currently Australia's professional players are on an average 60 per cent pay cut until September 30 but that timeline was always dependent on how much rugby was played in 2020.
Since that deal was agreed, Rugby Australia has announced redundancies for more than a third of its staff and have flagged an intention to keep the majority of staff on stand down
The governing body has secured its short-term financial future with a loan from World Rugby on top of the cost-cutting, which is also expected to flow into the member unions.
Fitzpatrick said players were prepared to continue in the current situation until the September 30 deadline.
"A lot of guys have expected, and I think it’s probably the best way to go about it, I think players have budgeted and forecasted until September 30 as on the salaries they are on at the moment but without financials I can’t guarantee anything because I don’t have what we’re looking at financially in front of me," he said.
"I think knowing from a player perspective a lot of guys are budgeting for the worst-case scenarios and we work up from there."
With players copping among the largest percentage hit in income, franchises have been careful to ensure their welfare is considered.
Teams have provided some players, who have picked up extra part-time work, with flexible training arrangements and offered counselling and financial advice for players.
"There's no doubt there's been challenges but I give full credit to the member unions, Rugby Australia and also the work that RUPA and our (Player Development Managers) do," Fitzpatrick said.
"We understood through any financial hardship, there's an element of emotional and mental health that needs to be taken into consideration.
"We went out as soon as we knew there was going to be a restructure of this magnitude, we made sure that all of those services were available and there definitely are players that have (sought) that kind of counsel.
"There are players that have used external services to help with budgeting, there are players who have gone and asked for flexible training hours so they can try and substitute some income with external work and for that, all theteams have been very flexible around that because at the end of the day, we needed to try and get a result that would allow everyone to live first and foremost but then also be able to return to the training field in a really good head space.
"So, there's been some contributing factors and I think everyone's been working really well together and it's definitely been a challenging time."
With no broadcast deal secured for 2021, there has been speculation about a number of players heading to overseas leagues in a bid to avoid a longer term reduction in pay.
Fitzpatrick said he felt there was a greater sense of confidence among the players after the developments this week.
"I think before a competition and a broadcast deal got announced, there were players that were apprehensive and anxious about what was being done there and where the future lay for the game," he said.
"Now, we're getting some really encouraging news that we've got a fantastic competition that's about to start which I think's going to really ignite a lot of enthusiasm around the game and then also that we've got a broadcast partner to put it on TV, which obviously brings money in the door for the game.
"Those two elements for players it's much more reassuring but I can't speak on behalf of what everyone's thinking regarding plans to go overseas or contract negotiations which are personal."
Super Rugby AU kicks off on Friday July 3 as the Reds host the Waratahs at Suncorp Stadium, kiking off at 7:05pm AEST, LIVE on Foxtel, Foxtel Now and Kayo Sports.
