What determines the monetary value of a professional Rugby Union player? - Part 1
On field characteristics and factors that Head Coaches and Directors of Rugby (DOR) said they are looking for.
Great question!
Through 2020 I had the opportunity to interview 24 role players within professional rugby organisations on what they think are the on and off-field characteristics and factors determining the monetary value of professional Rugby Union players.
These role players were divided into three categories:
1. Sport agent (7 participants)
2. Director of Rugby / Head Coach (10 participants)
3. Senior management (7 participants)
Work Based Project (Dissertation) for MSc Sports Directorship: “On and off-field characteristics and factors determining the monetary value of professional Rugby Union players”. Submitted to and accepted by the University of Salford, Manchester (UK), September 2020.
Figure 1: Representation of the three major role players that determines the monetary value of a professional rugby player.
Figure 2: Locations of the top professional rugby competitions globally, represented by the role players that were interviewed in the study
Over the next few months I would like to give you an inside view into what are the current characteristics and factors that determine the monetary value of professional Rugby Union players.
In part one we will be dealing with the on field characteristics and factors that Head Coaches and Directors of Rugby (DOR) said they are looking for.
1. On field characteristics (DOR/Head Coach)
a. Technical sporting abilities
“I have a very simple matrix where I measure every skill specific set in every player, and then weigh them among each other or among their peers. I try to weigh it that the competitions are the same, so we are measuring apples with apples, or certainly measuring apples in the same basket”
(Head Coach – RWC 2019 Participating Team)
The natural ability of the player to play the game is a characteristic that is mentioned by all coaches. Coaches are extremely specific in the way they look at players, as will be discussed at a later stage. Physical and motor abilities of players were also mentioned, without a large emphasis being placed on them.
“I look at guys that have above average explosive power in his position and have the athletic ability and applicable size for his position”
(Head Coach – Russian Professional Rugby League)
The technical capacities for players are broken down by coaches into the position specific roles that players need do fulfil above and beyond the natural ability to play the game.
“There are key fundamentals to each position. This is the basic job description, and you can’t even get past the door if you do not qualify and can do the basics in your position”
(Director of Rugby - Premiership)
b. Playing position
“Certain positions have a disproportionate effect on the outcome of the team, so that has an influence on the price, but also then the scarcity of that position or abundance of those players changes that. We feel that if we get those positions right, we can build the team around that”
(Head Coach – Super Rugby)
The ‘spine’ of the team was the focus for coaches when they spoke about positions with increased value. Coaches identified five positions that has an increased value in their perspective, Tighthead prop (3), a lineout lock (5), eighth man (8), scrum-half (9) and fly-half (10). Three other positions were mentioned by certain coaches that they would have a look at to have an increased value namely hooker (2), inside centre (12) and fullback (15).
c. X-Factor
“There is a player in a rugby team that you would pay for his X-factor, and that has a value, and that, well quite often is very difficult to measure. X-factor is not something that jumps at you from the stats in terms of volume. A player with X-factor can affect a game almost every time he plays in one or two instances.”
(Head Coach – RWC 2019 Participating Team)
Coaches pointed out that they are looking for the players with X-factor. Some coaches did not specifically call it X-factor, but mentioned players with a point of difference or game changers, will have a higher value.
d. Zero talent moments
“If you marry three top attributes with issues like work rate etc., the outcome of it is then how it manifest itself on the field of play”
(Head Coach – RWC 2019 Participating Team)
Zero talent moments are described by coaches as something that they value in players. These are all characteristics that require no rugby talent or skill. They are described as the ‘fight in the player’, ‘work rate’, ‘body language’, ‘grit’ and ‘toughness’.
2. On-field factors
a. Previous experience
“If he plays a Tier 1 competition or other top competition and makes it, his value will be much more. You cannot go study for experience. You earn it”
(Head Coach – Japan Top League)
Coaches put great emphasis on previous experience at a high level. All coaches linked this with leadership which will be discussed in one of the later parts to follow.
“If I can get a player with ten years of experience at a high level and his body can still perform, I will pay him as much as I can for that, as they offer a lot to the environment from a learning perspective”
(Head Coach – Major League Rugby)
b. Consistent performance
“Finally the thing that sits on top, especially with the tight five and back row forwards, is how durable the player is. I look at his medical history over the last five years and see how many games they have played on average per season. That gives me a good idea of what he is going to cost me per game.”
(Head Coach – Major League Rugby)
Players that play and perform consistently are what coaches are looking for. There is a correlation with the amount of injuries a player has and how consistent his performance is.
c. The way the team wants to play
“It depends a lot on the plan you have as a coach and what type of game you want to play”
(Head Coach – Russian Professional Rugby League)
For coaches it was imperative that players fit into the game plan they have in mind. The coaches also linked up the role of the agent with the way the team wants to play.
“It is important that the agents knows what you as a coach are looking for and how you want to play”
(Head Coach – Japan Top League)
d. Succession planning
“Depth charts drive our recruitment, but also help us look at where we look to spend our money, rather than an agent telling me he has a player at value X and then tries to sell him”
(Previous Head Coach – Top 14)
Depth charts are a way that coaches and organisations do their succession planning. Depth charts are also representative of the way the team wants to play and how the coach compiles his squad. Certain organisations have different strategies in compiling playing squads, this links with the strategic plan of the organisation.
“There are two ways of doing things. Contract lots of players at a lower price and try to build a team from there, or replace quality with quality to keep the performance of the team consistent”
(Head Coach – Pro 14)
Coaches also emphasised the need for succession planning to be done well in advance, to prevent an increase in value of certain players as result of timing.
“There are times when you need a particular position or player in your squad and you need to go and get him and just say I am willing to pay extra for this guy for the value he will add to the team”
(Director of Rugby – Premiership)
In the next part we will be looking at on-field characteristics and factors determining the monetary value of professional Rugby Union players from the perspective of the Senior Management within the organisation.
Summary: A one page summary slide for your benifit:
1.On field characteristics that Head Coaches and Directors of Rugby (DOR) said they are looking for
2.On field factors that Head Coaches and Directors of Rugby (DOR) said they are looking for
Tip: Click on above links to open summary slides
The Final Pass
