Players’ Association head blasts NZR’s ‘illconceived’ approach
RUGBY
AUCKLAND: New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association boss Rob Nichol has taken aim at NZ Rugby’s ‘‘blunt and illconceived’’ plans for the future and the power play approach that threatens to alienate its closest partners.
In an explosive interview, Nichol says NZR breached legal obligations to consult the Players’ Association before announcing plans for the 2021 Super Rugby season. He is refusing to give up hope of getting a Pasifika team off the ground next year, and says NZR’s kingmaker approach to Super Rugby risks isolating this country from the rugby world.
On Thursday, NZR announced Super Rugby Aotearoa would return in 2021, with the addition of a final, and the hope of then staging crossover matches with the five Australian teams.
NZR’s board rejected several proposals for a Pacific side in 2021, including one from Moana Pasifika which had the Players’ Association’s support, with chairman Brent Impey saying the team would not be ready in time and the commercial arrangements did not stack up.
From 2022, NZR plans to add a minimum of three teams to Super Rugby Aotearoa. Negotiations are ongoing with Moana Pasifika, Kanaloa Hawaii, the Western Force, Fiji Drua and the South China Lions, whose pitch is to be based out of Bay of Plenty.
Nichol, however, says future
formats are far from set in stone.
‘‘From our perspective we were affronted yesterday. New Zealand Rugby has a contractual
obligation to us to agree any competitions and all related financial arrangements. We haven’t agreed what’s come out in the last
24 hours so we’re sitting there going ‘where’s that respect gone’,’’ Nichol said.
‘‘As far as we are concerned
Sevu Reece and Nepo Laulala.
New Zealand Rugby remains locked in tense negotiations with Rugby Australia and the Sanzaar partners over what it believes to be a broken agreement to finish the Rugby Championship on the weekend of December 5.
NZ Rugby will continue to push for the final All Blacks and Wallabies test to be moved forward from December 12 in order for the team to avoid spending Christmas in quarantine.
A resolution is, though, by no means guaranteed. — The New Zealand Herald
that conversation is still live.
‘‘There’s a big difference between a blunt and rather illconceived statement that came out of the New Zealand board yesterday — there’s another option where you work with people and they accept it because they are a part of it and they respect you for making that effort.
‘‘Rather than the Pasifika community feeling let down, frustrated, disappointed and relationships strained — to say the very least — you actually end up with them standing alongside you.’’
While a sixth New Zealandbased team faced opposition from the five existing franchises due to concerns around cannibalising talent, support and commercial resources, it would allow each side to stage more home matches and alleviate some of the heavy attrition rates felt during the inaugural season.