SYDNEY — Australia’s top rugby players have accepted a 23% cut in their Test match fee from A$13,100 (US$12,700) a game to A$10,000 over the next four years, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said on Wednesday.The ARU, whose coffers were only partially replenished by this year’s British and Irish Lions tour, has engaged in a raft of cost-cutting measures since Bill Pulver took over as CEO earlier this year.The new deal with the Rugby Union Players’ Association also includes a $5m annual salary cap for each of the five Australian Super Rugby franchises."This agreement has been achieved through a culture of collaboration and partnership between players and ARU to generate strategies to address the game’s current challenges," Pulver said."This deal is arguably the most significant of its kind since rugby turned professional in 1995."The players have acted with integrity and maturity throughout the negotiations and their support for the game warrants acknowledgment by the Australian rugb...
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