NZR voices financial concerns
Southern Hemisphere rugby nations could face going broke, unless re-elected World Rugby boss Bill Beaumont changes the way the global game is funded.
That’s the sentiment of New Zealand Rugby chairman Brent Impey, whose organisation made it clear its preference was for vice-president Agustin Pichot, who missed out to Beaumont by 28 votes to 23.
National rugby bodies in the southern hemisphere have been hit hard by Super Rugby’s sudden halt and serious doubts about whether the Rugby Championship and other tests can go ahead in 2020, which leaves them in a financial predicament.
In an interview with Newstalk ZB, Impey said issues around revenue sharing, eligibility, and the rules of the game had not progressed during the past few years of Beaumont’s tenure, which was worrying.
‘‘Covid produces a chance for a total reset. While Bill has won and we’ve now got to support the winner that is on the condition that there is fundamental change,’’ Impey told Newstalk ZB.
‘‘We can’t carry on the way we’re going. Look at the finances of Rugby Australia, for example. It has got to change.
‘‘If these guys don’t get on and make change, if it’s four more years of the same, we’ll be gone.’’
NZ Rugby was seriously considering the concept of privately funded test tours as a way of attempting to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, Impey said.
Seeking private investment to directly fund All Blacks tours in the future was a possible option, he confirmed.
‘‘Yes, everything is on the table. The way I look at it is everything that went before is open for question. Yes, with the way finances are being destroyed, with Covid and no play, we are going to require money into the game,’’ he told Newstalk ZB.
‘‘We would be very unwise to reject the possibility of private investment money coming into our sport – in fact, we are actively looking at the best way we can do that for the benefit of all of New Zealand rugby.’’
Impey believed Samoa and Fiji turned down pleas from their southern neighbours and voted for Beaumont because they were promised political sweeteners, such as eligibility changes, which was disappointing.
Beaumont met members of Fiji and Samoa in Tokyo at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, but Impey didn’t know what had been offered to them.
‘‘I know from a personal relationship with Gus [Pichot] that he wouldn’t do deals. He went on a platform of needing change. There was nothing in the backroom from him, so I can only admire the campaign he ran.
‘‘Gus made it very clear in his campaign that he wasn’t making deals and would only campaign for change.’’