CENTRAL North officials are taking a wait and see approach to proposed changes to the registration process.
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The Australian Rugby Union is looking to introduce a user-pays system for insurance and registration fees.
It would see players having to pay for their own insurance.
Previously when they registered, their insurance was covered, with the clubs paying a collective fee.
The changes have caused uproar in rugby circles and have many clubs and officiating bodies concerned.
“It affects every rugby player in Australia,” Central North president Tony Byrnes said.
“All it’s going to do is put an impost on the players.
“It’s more money to pay.”
The impact of that will then flow onto the clubs and have a financial impact on them.
“It could end up costing some clubs a lot more money,” Byrnes said.
“It could double in some cases.”
Which in the current climate they can’t afford.
Clubs are struggling to retain players as it is.
There will also be a participation levy which players have to pay, the funds from which will become part of the NSW development program.
But that’s not the levy concerning officials.
“The national insurance levy is potentially the concern,” Byrnes said.
“Not just in this zone but right across NSW.”
It’s not yet “set in stone”.
Byrnes said there were currently discussions going on at state level about reverting back to how it has been done in previous years.
Under that system the club paid a fee per team.
If it is going to proceed on an individual level, they are asking that it be capped so it doesn’t cost more than it did last year.
Byrnes said the executive had had discussions about it but the “jury is out until the state comes back”.
Until then there isn’t a lot they can do.
The proposal is part of an overhaul of the registration system as rugby moves into the electronic age.
From next season registrations will be made through a new program called Rugby Link.
It’s been developed by the ARU to simplify player and competition administration.
“We see some benefit in streamlining,” Byrnes said.
“It takes away a lot of paperwork for clubs.”