NZR digs deep to tackle issues
New Zealand Rugby has a lot of work to do to meet the challenges laid out by its Respect and Responsibility Review panel, and believes it must dig as deep as the schools to start changing some attitudes and behaviours.
On the back of the Chiefs ‘Strippergate’ scandal and other highly publicised incidents, NZR charged an independent panel last September with undertaking a thorough review into the culture of ‘‘respect and responsibility’’ within the sport.
The result was an extensive nine-month process undertaken by a panel, chaired by Kathryn Beck, president of the New Zealand Law Society, and also including Jackie Barron, Lisa Carrington, Kate Daly, Liz Dawson, David Howman, Sir Michael Jones, Keven Mealamu and Dr Deb Robinson.
Their 164 pages of findings and recommendations, researched and authored by Robyn Cockburn, were unveiled in Auckland yesterday at a media conference fronted by Beck, NZR chief executive Steve Tew and NZR chairman Brent Impey.
‘‘This review is groundbreaking,’’ said Tew. ‘‘If we get it right it will a be transformational moment for our sport.’’
The panel’s report was a comprehensive and wide-ranging document that covered a lot of territory within rugby, and indeed society in general.
Out of it has come six ‘‘aspirational’’ goals set as guiding lights for rugby and 36 short-term,
43 mid-term and 12 long-term actions that it is recommended that NZR needs to focus on.
Tew acknowledged that the ‘‘initial spark’’ for the review had been provided by ‘‘some behavioural issues we were dealing with and the way we responded to those issues’’ and pointed out that many of the findings had reinforced plans and programmes the organisation already had in place.
However now they had a mandate to dig deeper, he indicated secondary schools, where the professional players of tomorrow are currently being shaped, would now be targeted.
‘‘Every player who comes into Super Rugby when they’re inducted gets lessons around respect, use of alcohol, relationships with women, and those sort of things you are going to come under pressure dealing with as a professional player who has money, profile and stardom,’’ said Tew.
‘‘What the review has done has really focused us that to get to the kids early enough we’re going to have to start while they’re at school, because what’s happening in schools rugby is that, particularly with first XV competitions which are a big part of the image of the school, these kids are getting a sense of entitlement and privilege far too early for their emotional and mental development.’’
Beck was told in the work undertaken by her group ‘‘to leave no stone unturned’’ and believed they had done so, engaging over 300 people directly and another 232 through an online mailbox.
NZR said among activities it would prioritise over the next 12-24 months were: establishing an executive governance group; develop a project plan and integrate the RRR into its 2020 strategy; develop a charter that captures NZR’s values and aspirations that rugby is for all; and establish an independent advisory group to receive regular reports.
‘‘This is going to be a transformational process, and it has already started,’’ added Beck. ‘‘The panel believes rugby is willing and ready to lead the culture change.’’