Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Major League Rugby will pay their players despite cancelling the remainder of the 2020 season due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Only five weeks were complete but salaried players will receive their full contracted amounts. League commissioner George Killebrew took to social media to confirm that the MLR Board of Governors had voted unanimously to continue the full payments.
Squad sizes have increased considerably since the inaugural season in 2018 to meet the demands of the expanded 16-game regular season and tougher competition. Most teams now employ around 25 full-time players supported by a pool of extended or part-time players. Those not salaried receive an hourly wage when called upon to train or take the field.
Across the five weeks of this season 366 players were named to match day squads while between 60-70 were either on standby or had not yet appeared due to injury. A league source confirmed that approximately 120 players were part-time and that they would also continue to be paid, each receiving their average weekly rate through June when the playoffs were due to begin.
While MLR salaries are currently well below those of other professional leagues – the salary cap in 2020 was $500k USD and the maximum individual rate was $45k – it is nonetheless a positive reinforcement of the league’s commitment to player well-being. At a time when the Premiership clubs are announcing pay cuts and scrambling to find ways to squeeze in remaining fixtures, MLR has made swift and decisive actions directing their energy on a secure future.
