Saturday, 16 November 2013

EXCLUSIVE: The £20m men! England rugby stars set for huge jackpot if they ...


By

Chris Foy




PUBLISHED:


22:48, 14 November 2013




|

UPDATED:


22:48, 14 November 2013



England’s quest to conquer Europe and the world in the next three seasons is being financed by a huge kitty from the RFU worth more than £20million.


As Stuart Lancaster’s team prepare to face world champions New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday, Sportsmail can reveal the full extent of the incentives they are playing for.


The crusade to emulate their predecessors from 2003 by claiming Six Nations Grand Slam and World Cup glory is being backed by an unprecedented investment by the union.


Jackpot: The England rugby side could be set to win £20million if they conquer the world


Jackpot: The England rugby side could be set to win £20million if they conquer the world


The current contractual agreement with senior squad players until the end of the 2015-16 campaign — including the World Cup — could lead to a total RFU pay-out of about £20.4m if England win on all fronts.


Autumn tests: Stuart Lancaster


Autumn tests: Stuart Lancaster’s side will be due a massive bonus if they beat New Zealand



In fact, the final sum could stretch to more than that, as reinforcements added to the squad are paid pro rata, on top of the budget.


In addition to the national pride at stake against the All Blacks, England’s players can unlock a squad bonus worth £250,000 if they beat New Zealand, as they did a year ago. That would be their collective reward for ending a three-match autumn series with three victories.


For those players who have played in all three matches, winning would guarantee them £31,983 each based on appearance fees of £7,038 per game and their share of the prize fund. The image-rights payments from a pot for the season worth £1,876,800 would ensure they earn more than double that amount.


When it comes to the Six Nations, there is a major reward for a Grand Slam, with a squad bonus of £600,000 set aside. Should England win the title without a clean sweep, the pay-out would be £368,255.


Lancaster’s side are climbing the IRB world rankings and each place is worth £8,960 per player.


They are currently at No 3, although they won’t move up by beating New Zealand unless South Africa lose to Scotland.


Magic moment: England will need to repeat their 2003 World Cup success to gain all the money on offer


Magic moment: England will need to repeat their 2003 World Cup success to gain all the money on offer



What it


What it’s all about… Jonny Wilkinson holding the trophy



The real riches are on offer at the World Cup in 2015. Should England reach the final at Twickenham, the 30-man squad would share an appearance fund of £1,750,000, while winning is worth another £3,150,000 — an overall £163,333 per man if they go all the way.


Meanwhile, New Zealand coach Steve Hansen believes a ‘special’ Test match is brewing for Saturday.


He said: ‘Every Test match you play for your country is special but there are certain games that become more special because of all the ingredients that go with it.


‘Twelve months ago England put in a really great performance and donkey-licked us. People are really talking it up and making it into a greater occasion.


Historic: The last time England won the Six Nations Grand Slam was also in 2003


Historic: The last time England won the Six Nations Grand Slam was also in 2003



‘People have bandied about the word “revenge” but that’s one of the silliest words you can use in rugby. It’s too strong, it’s a hateful word and our game is a beautiful game. What it is is an opportunity to see if we’ve improved. 


‘Last year they were first, daylight was second and we were third. We’ve no excuses, we got beaten by a team that were better on the day. If we turn up and play as well as we can then we’re going to be hard to beat. 


‘We’ve matured as a team, we’ve got a lot of experience, but we have an average age of just under 26.’


Proving they


Proving they’re No 1: Steve Hansen is looking to bounce back from last year’s shock defeat



Northampton last night confirmed that their England prop, Alex Corbisiero, who has been ruled out of Saturday’s game with a knee injury, requires an operation to remove cartilage.


The RFU were left red-faced on Thursday after mis-spelling ‘sportsmanship’ on the inspirational disc in the England dressing room.









Comments (28)


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Johnh1,


Gran Canaria,


11 hours ago


And these are people who, for well over 100 years, criticised and ridiculed and ostracized everything that was Rugby League because it was ‘professional’. Hypocritical in its extreme. The USA players who reached this years Rugby League World Cup quarter final did not even receive expenses to play. They have had to take an extra week off work, unpaid, to play in the quarter finals. Hypocrites, each and every one of them.





DD,


Hants, United Kingdom,


1 day ago


Someone is going to save £20 million.





North Man,


Worcester, United Kingdom,


1 day ago


These boys put their bodies on the line every time they train. Most footballers get paid more than that every day for sitting on a bench doing nothing. These boys are underpaid if you ask me!….





marsdena175,


Reading England,


1 day ago


The main incentive for them will be running out onto the pitch with the English rose on their chest!





bph1964,


glasgow,


16 hours ago


LMAO and a fat wallet in their back pocket. A great example of why England underachieve in big competitions the players all have book deals, newspaper columns and after dinner speaking lined up, motivating them with cash rather than pride.





knoallkirke,


barry – uk,


1 day ago


Are there any other rugby internationals being played this weekend.


2 of 3 repliesSee all replies





Feral Pigeon,


North of England, United Kingdom,


1 day ago


Yes!! Read the articles





Johnh1,


Gran Canaria,


11 hours ago


Yes, knoallkirke, there are other rugby international being played. For example, the USA are playing Australia in the quarter finals of the Rugby League World Cup. They are playing for free, gratis, unpaid, without expenses even and have had to take time off work, unpaid to do so.





Allan P,


BARROW-IN-FURNESS,


1 day ago


With the amount of money at their disposal, the RFU should give the Welsh talent scouts ‘An offer they can’t refuse’! From their playing base, they have consistently found players who frankly, would have walked into our England side. How long has it taken to replace Greenwood? Hopefully, Twelvetrees will do this, if he can settle in. While we were still picking Mike Tindall, Wales have had Shanklin, Hook, Roberts, J. Davies and even Gavin Henson!





tommo1913,


Romford, United Kingdom,


1 day ago


England definitely have a lot of potential. Such a young side and believe they will surprise a few SH teams in the future!





usednurse,


Scottish Borders United Kingdom,


1 day ago


The money would be better spent on developing coaching, facilities etc. If they can’t give their all for the shirt, maybe they shouldn’t be in the team. It would be a great pity to see rugby go the same way as football.





red dragon,


london,


9 hours ago


Well said, agree with every word.





Phil Levinson,


Newcastle, United Kingdom,


1 day ago


Well that’s a safe bet no need for the RFU to worry about playing out the big bucks. The All Blacks will give our over rated under skilled players a good lesson in fast, aggressive clinical rugby and win by 25 points. As for the World Cup we will qualify for the quarter finals and watch the remaining games on TV





dicey,


cardiff,


1 day ago


The QF’s are not certain either.





Feral Pigeon,


North of England, United Kingdom,


1 day ago


They are Dicey! Unless you get over your wallaby fear





Dubai Exile,


Dubai,


1 day ago


It’s a shame that there has to be a financial incentive to win -used to be pride for playing for your country



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