National Rugby League CEO Dave Smith is set to "launch his much-hyped Foundation for injured players this weekend," according to Nick Walshaw of the Sydney DAILY TELEGRAPH. First promised in July last year, the new fund will "provide financial compensation -- on top of insurance payouts -- for league players from junior football right through to first grade who suffer severe injury like brain or spinal trauma." In June of last year, it was revealed how NRL players like injured Alex McKinnon only received a A$500,000 ($372,300) payout for "catastrophic" injury -- compared to A$1M ($745,000) for Australian Football League players and A$1.5M ($1.1M) for members of the Australian Rugby Union. Almost immediately, NRL officials "announced the insurance payment would be doubled" to A$1M, while also "promising a Foundation plus 'new insurance arrangements'" by March '15. And while new Income Protection insurance is now in place, ensuring a player retired through serious injury has his entire contract paid out, Players Association CEO David Garnsey "confirmed significant insurance arrangements were still to be signed off on." The Foundation is "now officially operational, beginning this weekend" when the NRL will donate A$1 ($.74) from every ticket sold for the Men of League Heritage Round -- which was previously Rise For Alex Round. Rather than "simply dumping millions into the Foundation, the NRL will grow the fund through fundraising events." Smith said, "The Foundation will continue to build so it can provide assistance to those few players who suffer catastrophic injuries in our game" (DAILY TELEGRAPH, 7/15).
