The trailbalzers in the new Super W 15-a side women's competition are playing for love of the game rather than money, with no wage structure in place.
Teams from Australia's four established Super Rugby franchises, plus one representing Western Force, will play each other in a round-robin format starting next week.
While some costs, including travel and accommodation, will be covered, Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle said on Friday there were no Super W payments in place.
RA is in negotiations with the Rugby Union Players' Association about Super W, which was not part of their new collective bargaining agreement finalised late last year.
"We are having some conversations with RUPA about where Super W fits in," Castle said.
"But certainly at the first stage the competition, conditioning and high performance elements, coaching elements are really important when you are trying to make sure you give athletes that support.
"At the Wallaroos level there's payments which are agreed under the CBA, but we haven't got Super W payments."
The competition has been fast tracked to enable television coverage of the tournament, which features double headers also involving Super Rugby matches.
"It's a really pragmatic commercial decision to make sure that the women get the profile that they deserve, they are playing in world class stadia and they are also supported by that broadcast," Castle said.
Former Wallaroos captain and 15-a-side stawart Ash Hewson was philosophical about the lack of a pay structure.
"It's exciting enough as it is just to see how the competition goes and hopefully it grows from there into something financial for the girls," Hewson said.
"But at the end of the day, every women's 15s player has always played just because they love the game so I don't think that's something that comes into it."
RUPA CEO Ross Xenos anticipated a player participation agreement for Super W would be completed shortly and it would follow a similar trajectory to the NRC, which also didn't pay players in its first year.
