BAABAA$$$$
NZ Rugby set to pocket millions
Money spinning tests are the new norm for the All Blacks but they also create an interesting paradox.
New Zealand Rugby is expected to take home close to $5 million from two fixtures that sit outside the November test window on this All Blacks northern tour.
Coming on the back of the British and Irish Lions tour, which is thought to have generated between $20 million to $40 million in profit, it makes for a bumper year.
The All Blacks did not have to play the Barbarians at Twickenham early this morning (NZT) or a French XV in Lyon on November 15. They were only scheduled for tests against France, Scotland and Wales.
This quest for cash is not unique. The Wallabies are in Japan this weekend doing likewise, and the Springboks added an extra match against Wales to the end of their tour.
But in an age where we hear so much about workloads and player welfare, this creates a clear contradiction.
By the time the All Blacks land in France next week, they will have a sizeable squad of 42 players, with five joining from the Baabaas, each pocketing $7500 a week (a total bill of $315,000 a week).
This comes while the New Zealand Maori tour Canada and France.
The majority of the All Blacks then report back later than others to their Super Rugby franchises after a mandated 12-week off-season.
Super Rugby teams and the All Blacks have this season in particular been conscious of adopting an aligned rest and rotation policy. But the season is still long and taxing.
For NZR, the merits of All Blacks’ revenue-generating tests must be carefully considered, now and in the years to come. If not already evident, there is the danger of saturating the market.
Decisions cannot be made solely about money. The third Bledisloe Cup fixture NZR takes to Japan next year will, no doubt, come with a generous fee. But it also gives the All Blacks two valuable weeks to soak up experiences in the host nation of the 2019 World Cup.
“The reality is there are a number of elements to these games,” NZR chief executive Steve Tew told the Herald on Sunday in London.
“Keeping the Barbarians concept alive is important. It could have been England or Ireland, for example, but we chose to do the Barbarians which is an important part of the history of the game.
“The revenue is important — there is no question that we need to play these extra games to keep the revenue coming in not only for our player retention but also for the community game and the money we pass down for provincial unions.
“In this instance, the coaches were keen on a second game because they wanted the group that will play this weekend to have a second opportunity. That’s why the French game was brought into the mix. The money was more secondary.”
The Barbarians were expected to pay NZR £2 million ($3.8 million) for this morning’s fixture, and any fee under $1 million for the midweek French match would surprise.
These revenue-generating opportunities are limited for NZR — even more so for the Pacific Island nations who don’t command the same pulling power as the All Blacks.
Disparity in revenue has been laid bare regarding the Samoan team and their test against England at Twickenham this month.
With that match falling inside the test window, England keep the gate revenue while Samoa get pennies.
In theory, such a match is supposed to be reciprocated in June but even if rugby superpowers did venture regularly to the Pacific Islands, their small stadia and capacity to generate revenue make for a horribly uneven playing field.
World Rugby funds the Pacific Islands in other ways, but this situation does not look like changing any time soon. Not while traditional rugby powers remain reluctant to budge from their ivory towers.
“I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to get too far into the EnglandSamoa situation,” Tew said.
“It doesn’t work as well in the current calendar for the Pacific Islands, as they haven’t had as many teams visit them, and when they play at home, as we do, they generate a lot less money.
“In the new calendar, there will be significantly more activity to the Pacific Islands in the new July window. That will help a little bit but the reality is New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and some of the other tier-two countries live on small economies.
“It’s a matter for World Rugby to delve into but you know how difficult it was to get the calendar agreed.”