October 25, 2026 — 4:45pm

It’s been mostly fought out behind closed doors so far, but standby for the pay dispute between Australia’s professional players and Rugby Australia to go public – and get ugly – this week, with the deadline for a new collective bargaining agreement only days away.

And if you want to know what might unfold if the tense negotiations can’t produce a deal, the playbook of NRL players in their bitter CBA dispute in 2023 is a good reference point.

The Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA) and Rugby Australia have been at the table for months trying to strike a deal for a new five-year CBA , with the current agreement expiring on Saturday, October 31.

Based on dispatches from both trenches, it’s fair to say the talks have grown tetchy and relations have strained.

RUPA is pushing for a significant pay increase for men’s and women’s players, arguing the game needs to invest way more to generate success and reignite the game in Australia.…