A fascinating article by Andy McGeady in Irish Times explores the 'risks' involved for the IRFU if Ireland do go ahead and win the World Cup, and the steps they have taken to mitigate that risk.
In the course of the article, he alludes to the payment structure for players that has been put in place. Each player is paid between €30,000 and €40,000 just for making the squad.
Should a player get injured and have to be replaced by another squad member, then the money will be split between them on a 'pro-rata basis'.
Bonuses are then paid based on the team's performance in the competition.
However, should Ireland win the World Cup, then bonuses of over €100,000 would have to be paid out to every squad member. This amounts to a bill of €3.1m for the IRFU.
McGeady later details how the IRFU have engaged with a company set up by a Paddy Power director in order to protect themselves against the risks involved in winning the World Cup, which you can read in the Irish Times.
