The union that represents professional rugby players in Ireland has expressed disappointment over leaks to the media about the IRFU's proposed salary cuts.
Rugby Players Ireland (RPI) have responded to a report in the Irish Times last Friday which said that the IRFU would be seeking a 20% reduction in players' salaries.
RPI released a short statement today which revealed that it has yet to be brought up to speed on the IRFU's financial situation while the players have yet to even see the proposal mentioned in the report.
"We are very disappointed to see recent media reports about proposed player salary cuts," the statement read.
"We are in the very early phase of discussions with the IRFU to establish fully the current and long term financial position of the Union and only then can the players fully consider any proposal.
"Rugby Players Ireland will not be commenting further at this time."
Both playing and non-playing IRFU staff have been on a pay deferral scheme since the shutdown of the sport in response to the Covid-19 outbreak last March.
Those deferrals, which are now in the third month, range from 10% to 50% depending on how much an employee is earning.
IRFU chief executive Philip Browne has made no secret of the fact that pay cuts were likely as deferrals were not a long term option with the amount of income that has been lost due to the pandemic.
"We cannot simply build up a set of deferred salary liabilities, potentially in the knowledge that we're not going to be able to pay them," Browne said on Keith Wood's State of the Union show on OTB Sport.
"I don't see that that's a long term solution. At the time when the crisis first hit in March, everyone thought - 'well we'll be back training in June and we'll be playing out the end of the season in July and August'.
"That's all changed now. I think the salary deferral scheme is something certainly we need to be looking at.
"Ultimately if we have to cut wages, we have to cut wages, if that's what's going to help us get to the other end in one piece, and unpalatable as it is, we wouldn't be the only organisation in the country who is having to face up to these issues."
The governing body of Irish rugby is facing a financial crisis with a loss of up to €20 million expected if the Six Nations isn't completed and if the autumn internationals do not take place in 2020.
