Rugby Australia and the Queensland Rugby Union have released Queensland Reds players Izack Rodda, Harry Hockings and Isaac Lucas with immediate effect.
The decision comes after the three players decided to pursue termination of their contracts after being stood down by the QRU last Monday.
Rodda, Hockings, and Lucas were stood down when they refused to accept a reduction in pay and to nominate for the Australian Government’s JobKeeper subsidy, notwithstanding the interim pay agreement between Rugby Australia and RUPA.
Rugby Australia’s interim CEO, Rob Clarke, said of the incident:
“Rugby Australia and the Queensland Rugby Union have made the decision to release the three players from their contracts, effectively immediately.”
In Australia over 70% of the entire rugby workforce has been stood down during the coronavirus crisis, which equates to over 150 workers that are now receiving the Australian Government’s JobKeeper subsidy.
In total, 189 professional rugby players in Australia accepted reduced pay for an interim period to enable the game to navigate this unprecedented situation, but the three Queensland players elected not to do so.
