Wallabies were offered $200,000 for 1988 Rebel tour to SA

It has often been a source of conjecture in New Zealand rugby: how much did the Cavaliers get paid to make their rebel tour of South Africa in 1986?

The tour was the result of the legal ruling that the All Blacks could not make their 1985 tour of South Africa because it went against the NZRFU constitution. Players who made the tour received a two-Test suspension.

While there were suspicions of payments being made to undertake the tour, nothing official was ever outlined.

However, former Wallaby Brett Papworth has revealed what Australian players were to be paid for a similar rebel tour to be undertaken in 1988.

In an interview on rugby.com.au, Papworth said that after the 1987 Rugby World Cup and a tour to South America later that year he switched to rugby league.

The reason for that move was the cancellation of the Rebel tour.

"We had a rebel tour of South Africa planned and pretty much ready to go. It was worth $A200,000 tax-free," he said.

"We were days away from hitting the airport and it all blew up into this massive controversy. The tour got canned but I'd already spent that 200 grand in my head.

"The league boys had been chasing me for a while and it was pretty big money. I spoke to the Bulldogs, Tigers, the Gold Coast Giants and the Roosters. I chose the Rooster because I thought they were on the way up but the Bulldogs and Tigers ended up playing in the grand final of '88," he said.

Papworth said he never regretted move because he enjoyed meeting other players and it had been worthwhile financially. But he never reached his potential in the game as he twice broke his forearm, suffered a 'smashed' jaw and suffered two bad knee injuries.

Before getting back into rugby he endured a long court battle for reinstatement and is now president of the Eastwood club and a director of the Sydney Rugby Union.

The former second five-eighths was a dynamic performer who made his Test debut in 1985 after an outstanding schoolboys career for Australia.

He was part of the Alan Jones-coached side who won the Bledisloe Cup on their New Zealand tour of 1986.

"You don't beat the Kiwis on home soil very often. The fact we haven't won there [Eden Park] since then is remarkable but shows you just how tough it is," he said.

"We had a bloody good team and were good that day and they had a bit of turbulence. There had been a rebel tour of South Africa and they [New Zealand] welcomed most of those blokes back, so it was a difficult time for them.

"But they were still a great side and we should have won all three Tests [instead of 2-1]. We had a try disallowed in the second Test to Steve Tuynman that the Welsh referee [Derek Bevan] now admits was a try. We lost 13-12 before winning in Auckland," he said.

The Australians, joint hosts with New Zealand of the inaugural World Cup in 1987, felt they were a good chance to win the title. They were beaten in one of the semifinals by France.

"We played a World Cup semifinal at Concord Oval – people wouldn't believe it! We were holed up at the Travelodge at Camperdown, so it was hardly glamorous. Blokes were working. Jonesy [Alan Jones] was doing his radio show in the morning so we'd meet at 10 o'clock for training and then go off. But it was a big-time for us. We felt it was pretty special.

"We should have won that semifinal but couldn't get the job done. It was back and forth with the lead changing hands probably five or six times. They ended up scoring [in injury time]. It is considered one of the great games and when you get older, the winning and losing ceases to be so important. It was a special game to be part of," he said.

Wallabies can still win World Cup in spite of turmoil

Former Wallabies and Crusaders, and All Blacks assistant coach Robbie Deans believes that despite all the turmoil surrounding his own dismissal last year and the resignation of Ewen McKenzie, Australia still have the ability to win next year's World Cup.

While feeling some enmity with McKenzie, who resigned after Saturday's 28-29 defeat by the All Blacks, Deans said international coaching was 'a tough gig' and what was happening in Australia following the Kurtley Beale textgate controversy was not good for the game.

He believed incoming coach Michael Cheika was good enough to get the best out of the side.

"His flame burns hot and he will get a lift out of them," he said.

"If Australia came through their pool well they are a team still capable of becoming the first side to win the World Cup three times. If they come through their pool all right they are very well positioned to go on and win. Australia have got serious X factor but the key area is up front," he said.

Deans said from a New Zealander's point of view it was vital that Australian rugby was strong.

But the game had to be viable.

"They are competing in the world's toughest tournament, [the Rugby Championship] which was a point of advantage so long as the side remained competitive and the game remained viable domestically and that's their biggest challenge.

"They are competing in the toughest sporting environment in the world in terms of other codes [AFL, NRL and the A-League]. And they're all village games, wherever you go people have an interest down the street and that's rugby's challenge in Australia," he said.

Australian rugby was poles apart from New Zealand, however.

"The distinction between Australia and New Zealand is essentially the background of the players – what they've come out of and what they go back to routinely and from that end they are poles apart."

New Zealand had a much more competitive structure right through the grades. There was a strong schools competition in New Zealand whereas Australia's top schools played about six games a year.

"Players are only as good as the competitions they come out of. It starts from age group because they whole way through there is competition and players become accustomed to competing and accustomed to the fact they need to keep growing and developing because they understand the moment they relent someone will go past them.

There were no guarantees either financially or in playing strength that Australia could remain at the top. Finance was always an issue while there was the prospect of a mass exodus of players after the World Cup.

New Zealand had been through the same situation and it was in 2001 when a high performance meeting was held to set priorities in place. It was something New Zealand had been able to do because the NZR control the revenue streams and control most of the appointments. Through that power they can make decisions in the best interests of the game.

They realised that if the All Blacks jersey suffered they might not have anything to run off.

Deans said he was still enjoying the game and was enjoying the change in Japan with the Panasonic club but he said he didn't know what was around the corner but he was up for whatever was.

"My grandfather stopped me playing basketball once. I suggested I was going to play basketball and he said, 'I don't think so' and closed it down very quickly. Imagine if I told him I was going to coach the Wallabies?"

He said he was much better equipped as a coach now as a result of his experiences for whatever comes.