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Rugby League

Super League makes salary cap changes

22/06/2007

Several changes are to be made to the way the Super League salary cap is applied after bosses agreed the changes at a summit meeting this week.

The two-day conference in Perpignan featured chief executives from each of the 12 clubs in the top rugby league division in Europe, who all voted in favour of adopting a cap system similar to that in operation in Australia.

The NRL currently operates a system whereby a team must adhere to the salary cap at the beginning of the season and throughout the year, whereas the Super League's current system means the club must be under the cap at the beginning of the season.

It also works in such a way that clubs cannot be punished for breaching the cap until the following season.

Nigel Wood, the RFL chief operating officer, said: "The current salary cap has served the game well but it has a number of drawbacks which we aim to put right under these changes.

"At the moment, it is retrospective and a club breaching the salary cap cannot be dealt with until the following season.

"The new system, which is similar to the proven system in the NRL in Australia is 'live' and means a club can no longer breach the salary cap by miscalculation or mismanagement."

Also, as part of the new proposals, the 'homegrown player' rule will be extended.

From next season at least five players who have graduated from the club's academy or are aged under 21 must be included in the 25-man squad.

The clubs also reached an agreement to stage an additional Millennium Magic event in 2008 after the success of this year's inaugural weekend showcase.

All 12 clubs will play fixtures over the course of a single weekend at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, with the date yet to be arranged. Last year's event drew an aggregate crowd of nearly 60,000 to the six matches last month.

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