Warriors’ sale confirmed

AUCKLAND: The Warriors have gone full circle after being bought by an arm of their original owner, the Auckland Rugby League.

Businessman Eric Watson has ended 17 years of ownership by selling the National Rugby Legue club to the Carlaw Heritage Trust and financial backer Autex Industries Limited, a pioneering sponsor of the Kiwis in the late 1970s and 1980s

The sale price is believed to be around $18 million.

Watson said the decision to sell the club ‘‘was not an easy one and although I will always be a passionate supporter of the club, I believe the time is right to hand the club over to a new owner.

‘‘It is particularly pleasing to see the club formally become part of rugby league’s local governing body and administrator. The new owner is certainly passionate about the game and, with the addition of the club, it is now genuinely placed to support and grow rugby league from its grassroots through to what is the pinnacle of the sport’s international club competition,’’ he said.

The change of ownership brings with it a change of board members with chairman Jim Doyle and all fellow directors, other than chief executive Cameron George, stepping down and the new owner appointing new directors.

The new shareholding split means the Carlaw Park Heritage Trust owns 67% of the club and Autex Industries 33%. — RNZ