Funding key to women’s event

A professional women’s rugby competition involving some of New Zealand’s Super Rugby clubs could be up and running as early as next year.

But New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson has indicated it could depend on securing a $465 million deal from overseas investment company Silver Lake.

The Blues and Chiefs will field women’s teams for a one-off game at Eden Park in Auckland on May 1 but Robinson revealed NZ Rugby was in the early stages of planning for a fully fledged competition that could kickoff in 2022.

‘‘We would like to have a competition like that, be it at a professional or semiprofessional level, but that is contingent on the resources that we have available to us,’’ Robinson said.

‘‘There are significant opportunities for us to be able to do a range of different things in this space, women’s professional rugby, if we have the financial wherewithal and the model to do it. But there will be restrictions if we don’t have that.’’

Robinson said a potential professional women’s rugby competition would likely feature a maximum of four teams, represented by the three current North Island Super Rugby clubs and a combined one from the South Island.

Robinson said he optimistic the ‘‘transformational’’ $465 million deal for a 15 per cent stake in NZ Rugby’s commercial rights will get the backing from all its key stakeholders before next month’s annual meeting.

That is despite a group of senior All Blacks and Black Ferns including men’s captain Sam Cane signing a letter in January expressing concerns with the proposed deal with United States technology investment company Silver Lake.

‘‘That letter was dated at the end of January and there’s been a whole range of developments in this space since that time,’’ Robinson said.

‘‘It’s been two months. We’re sharing more and more information and more information is coming to hand by virtue of the partners that we’re working with and also partners that they have.’’