Highlanders win survival battle

A stripped-back Highlanders organisation has done enough to get through to the end of the year even if they play at an empty Forsyth Barr Stadium, CEO Roger Clark has revealed.

‘‘We’ve put some pretty good plans in place,’’ Clark said yesterday.

‘‘We’ve made the cuts to our business that we needed to make.

‘‘Those plans will take us through well into the end of the year and not just the end of this competition.’’

The southern franchise will start the new Super Rugby Aotearoa competition will a home game against the Chiefs on June 13, although with no fans allowed in the revenue tap will still be switched off.

But Clark guaranteed the Highlanders’ survival and said they had also managed to retain all of their staff.

‘‘Those plans didn’t include the revenue we were potentially losing for not playing,’’ he said.

‘‘So, these games for us are a bonus. ‘‘They are an opportunity to showcase the Highlanders and our sponsors.’’

The Highlanders’ ability to survive an unprecedented financial challenge reflects their lean model.

To date, the franchise has received $126,532.80 from the government wage subsidy, covering 18 employees.

The Super Rugby franchises also received a total of $1.25 million – split five ways – from New Zealand.

However, neither figure goes far in running a professional rugby team and other franchises have been forced to cut staff.

But Clark still entertained hopes that the gates at Forsyth Barr Stadium could be reopened by the end of the revised competition .

‘‘We’re still hopeful that maybe towards the end of the competition, who knows, if everyone does a great job we may get down to level 1 and we may be able to get some crowds back in the back end of August,’’ he said.

‘‘That’s bit of a dream at this stage. The first thing is getting back on the field.

‘‘Financially, our plans are in place, and we’re solid until the end of the year. Now we’re just concentrating on getting back to footy.

‘‘We’re spending most of our time right now on health and safety.’’

Rugby’s return to play in empty stadiawill be just one of the challenges ahead.

Highlanders head coach Aaron Mauger said the players would have to be put through health and welfare checks before resuming proper training, while rigorous attention to hygiene will also become part of the new normal.

But Mauger said the Highlanders were determined to make the most of new campaign, which starts against a Chiefs side that will include new All Blacks captain Sam Cane and is coached by the wily Warren Gatland.

‘‘We’re still going to have great support,’’ Mauger said yesterday.

‘‘It’s a great way for our guys to put some performances in that our people will be proud of.

‘‘They just going to have do it [support us] from home in their living rooms.

‘‘We know that from the connection we have with our community we’ll have that support.

‘‘It’ll be a little bit different so our motivation will be putting in a performance we can be proud of and that’s all we can control.’’

Clark also confirmed that a recruitment freeze had been put in place by New Zealand Rugby for the 2021 season, although that did not prevent the Highlanders from identifying and talking to targets.

‘‘We’re weekly having recruitment meetings,’’ Clark said.

‘‘There’s a moratorium on contracting people, but we can still negotiate.

‘‘We’re still working really proactively on that front, and we’ll keep doing so until we get to play.

‘‘We believe contracting will come back online once we get back to play.’’