News

Agents warned in Australia

August 06 2008

In the wake of the Sonny Bill Williams contract saga, action has been swift in Australia with Rugby Union agents told they will be stripped of their licences - and face legal action - if they aid such a move in the future.

The consequences of a walkout repeat was the major topic of discussion at a Rugby Union Players Association briefing this week with 35 player managers informed and warned over big-cash moves to France or Britain.

Not only would agents be personally liable to legal action over a Williams-style move, they would also face losing the RUPA accreditation needed to represent Super 14 and Australian talent.

"If an agent who was accredited by us encouraged and promoted a player to breach his contract and go overseas in similar circumstances to Sonny Bill, we'd probably go close to disbarring him and revoking his licence," RUPA boss Tony Dempsey said on Monday.

"It would be in breach of our code of conduct, which requires all players to adhere to their side of the contract.

"We also had a University of NSW contract law expert, Deborah Healey, in who said facilitating a player breaching their contract that they, too, could be liable."

The meeting was organised post recent reports that wing Lote Tuqiri had been approached by privately owned French club Bayonne.

But the Wallaby man, who is under contract with the ARU and NSW until 2011, turned down the offer for now - although he didn't have much choice in the matter.

Unlike Williams' Rugby League departure, the International Rugby Board possesses the authority to block a player breaking a contract with one member nation to play in another.

However, the RUPA is currently in the process of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement that could see more star names make the switch to Europe.