Rugby's emergency pay deal was held up by players' demands to chase short-term overseas contracts next year as a way of recouping hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost cash.

The sticking point emerged this week and delayed negotiations as the Super Rugby clubs grappled with the idea of losing their biggest names for a season.

About half a dozen top Wallabies want to be able to play offshore to recoup their losses in the looming pay deal. Credit:Darren England

A Super Rugby source told the Herald the deal was all but done by late Friday, with an announcement expected on Monday.

That came after a marathon day of phone and email negotiations, with the Rugby Union Players Association pushing for a handful of the country's highest-paid players to be given the opportunity to take six-month contracts overseas, as early as next year.