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A new employment agreement signed by the New Zealand Rugby Union and the association representing its professional players has cleared the way for overseas players to join New Zealand Super rugby teams for the first time.
The NZRU and New Zealand Rugby Players Association on Thursday announced the signing of a collective employment agreement which will allow Super 15 franchises to expand their squads from 28 players currently to between 30 and 32 players, including two from overseas.
The recruitment of overseas players can begin in 2011 under criteria specified by the New Zealand union and with the union's approval.
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The collective agreement which applies until 2012 also guarantees bonuses of NZ$100,000 (US$70,000) to every All Blacks player if New Zealand wins next year's Rugby World Cup.
Individual All Blacks will receive a bonus of NZ$35,000 (US$24,500) if they reach the World Cup final in New Zealand and an additional NZ$65,000 (US$45,500) if they win the tournament for the first time since 1987.
The formal signing of the agreement follows the announcement in December that players and the New Zealand union had reached agreement on major issues. The union said the agreement provided a basis for the sustainability of professional rugby in New Zealand.
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The agreement includes a new player contracting and payment model which allows Super rugby franchises to contract players directly.
The New Zealand union's general manager for professional rugby Neil Sorensen said the new agreement was a significant milestone.
"It has taken significant work to get here but there has been tremendous goodwill and effort by all those involved," Sorensen said.
"The new agreement is one that achieves a positive result for the New Zealand rugby community at large," he continued. "We are confident it will provide a basis for the sustainability of professional rugby at all levels of the game."
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Nzrpa CEO Rob Nichol said the agreement dealt with a number of challenging issues. "The agreement provides a level of certainty around the competitions and the overall contracting model that will provide a better platform for the game to move forward," he said.
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