Tax break for top rugby players?

[Winston001]

And about time too - great idea - http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/rugby/news/article/-/2420968/tax-breaks-blacks-country

How are we going to stop these guys leaving the country otherwise? The big pockets overseas are too much for the NZRFU so I reckon tax breaks are the least they can expect. It might just be enough to retain our top players.

[Trouser]

Bugger them. If they are only going to chase the money, fine, leave.

Who really thinks that rugby played by professionals is even rugby at all? Lost all credibility to me when thay went pro.

[Swoop]

They are getting paid well for what they do. Pay the appropriate tax or fu*k off.
Why should they get a tax break? The rest of the country isn't getting one.

[Forest]

Rugby is a professional sport that collects hundreds of millions of dollars in game related revenue. If they want to retain the talent then the NZRFU should pay their players more.

If we offer a tax-break to rugby players we will effectively be offering corporate welfare to a private company.

[firefighter]

How about the defence force, police, fire and ambulance staff getting one first???? They earn (well defence and fire) get paid massively less (well crap), and put their lives on the line, I think they get paid well enough considering how often theyr'e really at "work" and a tax break for sports stars would be an insult to real professionals.

[JimO]

how about they win a few games first

[Winston001]

Is this the five minute argument or the full half hour?

[Quasievil]

Nah fuck em, Mums and Dads dont have the option of going overseas for big cash offers, they have to stay and slug it out, if the big rugby nuts want to go I say Go, who cares, rugby players are dispensable.......very dispensable

[davo]

i hope this is a joke..

[Hitcher]

Bugger them. Over-indulged, self-centred and under-skilled. If they don't understand or value the cache that a winning All Blacks teams gives all New Zealand rugby players, then there's little value in trying to explain it to them.

[Trudes]

Agree with most of you, why should they be any different to any one else? They get paid pretty well from what I can see, what about the other hard working/playing sports people in NZ who get paid bugger all or nothing for representing NZ in their chosen sport but have to hold down a full-time job as well, like the Silver Ferns, Tall Backs, Soccer players, Hockey players etc, where's their tax breaks?? Oh that's right, they don't play our "National Sport", even though there are actually more soccer and netball players in NZ than rugby players. *sigh*

[Subike]

Tax break for rugby players
bahh humbug
just another ploy by the sitting gommint to grab votes this election
Rugby fans do vote dont they?

Agree with many previous posts
Low Income Families should get the first round of tax breaks
At least they will spend the extra money on comodities
Not like most rugby players who will just piss it up against the wall, get into scraps, become infamous in the media, cry sob stories about being hard done by, and then laugh at us all in the face when Holden/Ford/Toyota supply them with new cars for the season!
This is crap
Wanna leave NZ for more money
then fuck off!

[Tank]

Some really good points in this thread.

I pay a fucken fortune in tax - over 1k per week - and Ill be fucked if I think its fair that people who are still getting paid more than me (for playing a sport) should get tax breaks to stay here.

The only reason that they are needed is so that the NZRFU can have a better chance to win the cup (Tui) and make more money. Why should the man on the street subsidise that?

I could get more money overseas as well - but I choose to be here.

No group of people are more special than others - and all should be taxed with the same set of rules.

and IF the fucktards that run this country select Rugby players as the only people to get tax breaks then I'll be even more disgusted in them.

[Winston001]

i hope this is a joke..

Not according to David Moffat of the NZRFU - its his idea.

Come on you guys, think outside the square. This is a cultural issue. There is always a generic need for engineers, teachers etc but they come and they go. Their value is general and not specific to New Zealand.

However rugby excellence defines us as a nation, it is a core part of our culture, an art form writ large upon the world stage. There is only one Daniel Carter - if we lose him, that is a loss to our nation.

We place a huge emotional value on the Victoria Crosses which were recently stolen, yet replicas can be made and their history can never be sold or lost.

:Oi: Carter and Howlett cannot be replicated.....

[Tank]

Not according to David Moffat of the NZRFU - its his idea.

Come on you guys, think outside the square. This is a cultural issue. There is always a generic need for engineers, teachers etc but they come and they go. Their value is general and not specific to New Zealand.

However rugby excellence defines us as a nation, it is a core part of our culture, an art form writ large upon the world stage. There is only one Daniel Carter - if we lose him, that is a loss to our nation.

We place a huge emotional value on the Victoria Crosses which were recently stolen, yet replicas can be made and their history can never be sold or lost.

:Oi: Carter and Howlett cannot be replicated.....

Hell 'Ol pinetree's gone, so is Buck - but we managed to cope when they left as well.

[firefighter]

Not according to David Moffat of the NZRFU - its his idea.

Come on you guys, think outside the square. This is a cultural issue. There is always a generic need for engineers, teachers etc but they come and they go. Their value is general and not specific to New Zealand.

However rugby excellence defines us as a nation, it is a core part of our culture, an art form writ large upon the world stage. There is only one Daniel Carter - if we lose him, that is a loss to our nation.

We place a huge emotional value on the Victoria Crosses which were recently stolen, yet replicas can be made and their history can never be sold or lost.

:Oi: Carter and Howlett cannot be replicated.....

NZ is just one big cultural issue :baby: I can't tell are you joking or serious with this post??? Just a quick question, do you really think Dan Carter and Dougie Howlett really need a tax break with their salary?!!? What about that firefighter in hamilton that died......where's his tax break? where's his family's tax break? You know all they got was largely taxed on his superannuation and his life insurance (in the highest tax bracket i'll have you know).......and he's dead, mate that is un-replaceable, Carter and Howlett not only will they be replaced, we'll probably end up with someone who can finish a bloody whole game, you just think about that, if you were kidding then forget I said anything.....

[Swoop]

However rugby excellence defines us as a nation, it is a core part of our culture, an art form writ large upon the world stage. There is only one Daniel Carter - if we lose him, that is a loss to our nation.

We place a huge emotional value on the Victoria Crosses which were recently stolen, yet replicas can be made and their history can never be sold or lost.
You are comparing the bravery and self sacrifice of the VC winners with thugby players?
I doubt the VC winners thought "if I charge that machinegun post, i'll get a medal[tax-cut]". They did it for themselves and their mates, not for glory or an increase in wages.
Rugby excellence in this country? What a joke. If we lose a player, too fucking bad.
In fact, the players should be PAYING other sporting codes. Thugby is a "professional" sport (although the behaviour of the players would lead you to believe otherwise) and their swallowing of the sponsorship dollar affects the other sports here.

[scrivy]

HA HA HA HA HA............

What a f@rken joke!!:lol:

Let them go and lose for some other country!!

No lose to us left here. Might even raise the I.Q. of NZ if they leave!

Crack me up..... give them a tax break....... HA HA HA.........


National game? Hardmen? Excellence? YEAH RIGHT!!

O.k. what's the next laugh.

[Clockwork]

As I understand it, apart from the NZRFU there's nothing to prevent players who play club rugby overseas for the big bucks still representing NZ at All Black level.

[Hitcher]

As I understand it, apart from the NZRFU there's nothing to prevent players who play club rugby overseas for the big bucks still representing NZ at All Black level.

Apart from the NZRFU's rules, there are also restrictions placed on player availability by their clubs. Other than that, they're free to play for whoever they choose!

[Winston001]

Actually I think it is the International Rugby Board Rules which prevent multi-country playing within a season.

[RantyDave]

How are we going to stop these guys leaving the country otherwise?
Who gives a shit? Rugby players are part of the entertainment industry. Are we going to give tax breaks to Comedians? Musicians? Strippers?

Fuck 'em. Fucking mud heads think they're so damn important.

Dave

[KiwiRat]

It's a big smoke screen. Think about it. This issue would disappear if they changed the "overseas based player" selection rule for the ABs. That way players get to ply their trade for the highest bidder, and the ABs get to pick from the best NZ has to offer.

Only fly in the ointment is overseas clubs being stingy releasing players for tests

[MIXONE]

I remember when Mertz left and the cry was "How can we ever replace him".
Now it's "Andrew who?"
Howlett overpaid and underperformed.Heaps of others to.
Tax breaks to guys who collectively broke a rugby nation's heart?no fuck off.
They should get performance based wages then they might perform a little better.

[Coyote]

The government will let this happen cause they're all black

[Finn]

Typical Liabour. Since they've been in power, there's been a significant increase of people getting the hell out of NZ but they don't give a damn... until our national rugby team decide to do the same.

Short sighted self serving sucky socialists.

[ManDownUnder]

Naaaa... tax breaks based on employment sector?

That'd disadvantage everyone on the dole and sickness benefit and Labour would lose 50% of their support base in an election year.

[Mr Merde]

...We place a huge emotional value on the Victoria Crosses which were recently stolen, yet replicas can be made and their history can never be sold or lost. .....

Huge emotional value definitely but to compare the winners ogf these awards with a group of over paid prima donnas is insulting.

The VC is awarded for acts of galantry and bravery which in most instances are either fatal or near fatal.

The closest the prima donnas come to anything fatal is when they get bad press in the news media

The actual VC cannot be replicated. They are cast from cannon siezed in the Crimean War of 1852 and there is a finite amount of metal that can be cast from these cannon.

As to loosing talent from the rugby field, what the hell. Let them go overseas for the money but also let them know that by doing so they will never make the AB's again. Without the AB's they would be nothing.

[firefighter]

Naaaa... tax breaks based on employment sector?

That'd disadvantage everyone on the dole and sickness benefit and Labour would lose 50% of their support base in an election year.

As iv'e said in earlier posts - they should change their name to the beneficiary party..... +1

[Winston001]

I see we are having trouble reaching a concensus on this wonderful idea.

For anyone in doubt, I suggest considering the type of comedy/joke explained in Borat's movie...... don't forget the pause........:clap:

[Skunk]

And about time too - great idea - http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/rugby/news/article/-/2420968/tax-breaks-blacks-country

How are we going to stop these guys leaving the country otherwise? The big pockets overseas are too much for the NZRFU so I reckon tax breaks are the least they can expect. It might just be enough to retain our top players.
Piss off. Pay the tax you owe. Everyone else does.

What is it with Rugby? A fuckin good excuse to punch people over while chasing a odd ball in front of people for far too much money.

And for that they should get a tax break?! WTF!

[Storm]

Lets see now-
Victoria Cross winner: risking death to get the job, which they didnt even ask for mind you, done at great personal risk of death

Rugby players: playing a game for money where as soon as you get a little boo-boo or a sore muscle you come off the field

Any comparison- not fucking likely!!