RUPA has four distinct categories of membership:

Super Rugby Member

Professional players contracted as either Core Playing Squad (CPS) or Extended Playing Squad players (EPS) with any of the five Australian Super Rugby Clubs.

Academy Member

Part-time developing players contracted with the Australian Rugby Union as part of the elite National Academy program.

Sevens Member

Part-time Sevens players contracted with the ARU, representing Australia as part of the international Sevens tour.

Past Player Member

Any player who has represented any of the Australian Super Rugby Clubs since 1995 is also eligible to be a member of RUPA.

The RUPA assists its members with a very broad range of issues and initiatives, including but not limited to:

• The negotiation of key industrial instruments – including the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)
• Management of the Player Agent Accreditation Scheme
• Overseeing compliance by Rugby Bodies of the CBA
• Management and operation of the Personal and Career Development (PACD)
• Annual Implementation of a Player Group Death, TPD and Career-Ending Insurance Policy
• Ongoing management of Player Superannuation Scheme.
• OH&S recommendations through the RUPA/ ARU Player Occupational Health and Safety Committee
• Representing Rugby Players as part of greater conglomerate Associations – including the AAA and IRPA
• Assisting in the continued development and fostering of links between past professional players through RUPA events for players