16 replies to this topic

[Finn]

Tony Colquitt (director of Oxford RL) has been saying that Oxford have signed 32 players and that they are well within the salary cap for that division which is 125k. At the maximum cap that works out on average at less than £4000 per annum per player. It begs the question as to whether a sport can be classed as professional when players are turning out for £75 per week before tax and other deductions.

[marklaspalmas]

Tony Colquitt (director of Oxford RL) has been saying that Oxford have signed 32 players and that they are well within the salary cap for that division which is 125k. At the maximum cap that works out on average at less than £4000 per annum per player. It begs the question as to whether a sport can be classed as professional when players are turning out for £75 per week before tax and other deductions.

Championship 1 is semi-professional. HTH.

[sweaty craiq]

You really need to do some work on the difference between amateur, semi pro and pro in any sport, especially within a pyramid promotion system.

[Finn]

Championship 1 is semi-professional. HTH.

A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialized set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. Doesn't matter if you're full or part time.

[gazza77]

A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialized set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. Doesn't matter if you're full or part time.

I guess you've answered your own question then.

[sweaty craiq]

People who are semi-professional are paid for an activity which they take part in but which they do not do all the time

[Derwent]

Players at that level are rarely on guaranteed contract money and are generally on 'pay as you play' match fees only. Rather than looking at it as annual wages you need to view it on a 'per game' basis. If Oxford play 20 games then players will earn between £200 and £500 per game depending on their status at the club. In other words, Oxford have a budget of £120k for 20 matches so can pay out £6k per game under the cap. That averages £333 per man in the 18 man match day squad. So rather than it being £75 per week over a year it's actually £333 per week over 20 weeks if you are picked to play.

[bowes]

Think this has been lowered from £150k and was £200k a few years ago. Think Championship cap is £300k unless it's changed?

[Tusbab]

It's also worth noting that Oxford, despite having signed 32 players, is not fielding a team in th Northern Rail Cup. So their salary demands will be less that that of the other CC1 clubs

[tim2]

Some players may get travel expenses to get to training, even if they don't play. But in general, Derwent's analysis is right.

I suspect the 32 players will be trimmed down as the pre-season and season progresses. This happens even at established clubs. Some of the players may also be dual-registered somewhere else in the community game so they get some game time.

[marklaspalmas]

A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialized set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. Doesn't matter if you're full or part time.

Brilliant!

[Griff]

A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialized set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. Doesn't matter if you're full or part time.

At one time you didn't even have to be paid to be classed as a professional.

You just had to watch a Rugby League game.

[keighley]

At that level, the money is just a welcome extra to help with living expenses. It's a throwback to the origins of the game really. In other words you are playing a game you love to a better standard ( hopefully) than amateur level RL and getting some extra pocket money to boot ( with aplogies to pre pro RU ).

It's essential that a player has a decent job as his major source of income. there is an incentive for both club and player in that if they progress up the ranks to CC, then the level of pay should increase and the income to the club should also go up from Sky money and gate receipts.

[Griff]

Tony Colquitt (director of Oxford RL) has been saying that Oxford have signed 32 players and that they are well within the salary cap for that division which is 125k. At the maximum cap that works out on average at less than £4000 per annum per player. It begs the question as to whether a sport can be classed as professional when players are turning out for £75 per week before tax and other deductions.

Returning to the OP, if it's not professional, it must be amateur .... is that the point of the OP ?

Seems highly unlikely to me.

[LeeF]

At one time you didn't even have to be paid to be classed as a professional.

You just had to watch a Rugby League game.

And you could be an Amateur even if you were being paid to play RU

[longboard]

At one time you didn't even have to be paid to be classed as a professional.

You just had to watch a Rugby League game.

Very good.

[Padge]

Returning to the OP, if it's not professional, it must be amateur .... is that the point of the OP ?

Seems highly unlikely to me.

A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialized set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. Doesn't matter if you're full or part time.

Semi-professional is a contradiction in terms, a professional rugby player just like a professional doctor receives his main income from his profession.

If your source of income is what pays the gas, electric, mortgage and puts food on the table then that source is your profession.

In the case of a rugby player who has an income source higher than that which he gets paid for playing, a source that pays his bills, he is an amateur player, but a professional 'whatever'.

The word amateur is derived from the Latin 'amare', 'to love', the literal meaning is to do something for the love of it, someone who plays the game for the love of it is an amateur, whether money changes hands or not. If money changes hands to the amount that it becomes the main source of income then you become a professional.

Edited by Padge, 21 December 2012 - 10:49 PM.