Lions help deliver NZR’s record profit

Last year’s tour of New Zealand by the British and Irish Lions has helped NZ Rugby achieve stunning financial results.

NZ Rugby revealed in Auckland yesterday its profits for the last financial year were a record $33.4 million.

It was also announced that there had been a record of $224m investment into rugby off the back of $257m of income.

NZR chief executive Steve Tew said the Lions series had come in slightly ahead of budget and delivered positive results across the board.

‘‘The DHL New Zealand Lions series has always been a major part of our 2020 Strategy and we are very proud of the way it was delivered to our fans and stakeholders,’’ Tew said.

‘‘Ultimately our goals were to showcase New Zealand to the world, contribute to the country’s economy, ensure the series was profitable, and to win the test matches.

‘‘We didn’t always get the onfield results we were after, but Investec Super Rugby and provincial rugby fans from New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland got in behind their teams and made the series a fantastic celebration of the game.’’

The Lions series generated an incremental profit of $40 million compared to a normal year when the All Blacks play a three-match series during the middle of the year against a northern hemisphere team.

According to a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment report the series directly contributed $245 million to the country’s GDP.