ARU Fearful Of Hitting Financial Wall If Unable To Raise Revenue By 2015 World Cup

Axing a Super Rugby team "is not an option," but the Australian Rugby Union may consider player salary cuts to help keep the battling code away from potential "receivership," according to Iain Payten of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. That "was the startling verdict" of ARU CEO Bill Pulver on Tuesday "as the game's grim financial situation set a sombre backdrop for the launch of Super Rugby in Sydney." Dwindling revenue forecasts "have seen the ARU take the drastic step" of imposing a A$200 ($180) per-team levy at every team junior and senior club in the country. Pulver said, “The ARU finished last year with $10 million of cash and $140-odd million of revenue. The revenue is going to drop this year to $100 million, and next year it will drop to $80 million in a World Cup year. The financial model is not sustainable. There’s nothing I can do about it except try and fix it" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 2/12).