‘We’re in a fight for the survival of our game’
In a telling interview with Marc Hinton, the former All Black now running rugby in NZ reveals the huge challenges ahead.
In these challenging and unprecedented times, you can sometimes forget about the humanity of what’s unfolding. So as New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson sits across the boardroom table at his organisation’s Auckland office, the appropriate, and decent, starting point has to be to inquire as to his wellbeing.
Covid, of course, has tested us all. Him more than most.
This, after all, has been a ridiculously problematic first year for Robinson, a likeable, conscientious and extremely capable fellow who stepped into Steve Tew’s shoes for the toughest job in New Zealand sport (don’t tell Ian Foster this, but coaching the All Blacks is a comparative doddle) at the start of 2020 full of expectation and excitement.
He had a new All Blacks coaching group to fill in (achieved quickly, and with only amurmur of discontent from red and black country), an everchanging international landscape to negotiate and, of course, the annual issue of finding revenue to meet the massive costs of running rugby in this country. Oh, and a sport faltering somewhat on the participation front at grass-roots level.
It was nothing he couldn’t handle, this former All Black and Cambridge Universityeducated businessman who had made quite the impact in the commercial world, including a stint running Taranaki rugby and recent consultancy work in education, environment, energy and agriculture.
Here he was, the consummate modern administrator, wellconnected, welleducated and wellversed in the skills required to negotiate these choppy waters. Following the long, and mostly successful, era of Tew, there was high hope the ideal contemporary successor had been found.
Then came Covid-19, and the whole world got turned upsidedown, inside-out. Revenue streams started drying up, international and domestic schedules became impossible to meet and sport effectively ground to a halt during a time of lockdowns, quarantines, managed isolation and severe travel and border restrictions.
Within weeks, Robinson found himself having to slash payrolls, lay off staff, reconfigure competitions, negotiate new events to rise from the rubble of those no longer able to play out and somehow figure out away to meet sponsorship, broadcasting and commercial commitments all while effectively playing a game with one hand tied behind their backs. He did most of it early on buried away in his home office, stuck on a continuous loop of Zoom meetings while his wife and three kids carried on life without him for ever-growing chunks of the day.
‘‘You can’t hide from the fact it’s been amassive challenge and the time you would like to spend with family and close friends has been compromised,’’ Robinson tells Sunday News to open a
40-minute discourse on all things rugby in 2020.
‘‘We know we’re in a fight for the survival of the game. And we know how important that is. I’m massively optimistic about the future still. We’ve navigated some challenging times, and look forward now with some clarity that’s starting to emerge after several months of not having much at all.
‘‘I feel good,’’ he adds, addressing the question. ‘‘You’ve got to take the time to spend on yourself, doing some exercise, or getting out with the family and seeing a bit more of the kids. But I’m really proud of how rugby has navigated this and excited about possibilities ahead.’’ Yes, Covid has not broken the Taranaki born-and-bred Robinson, the first All Black (nine tests, 2000-02) to be appointed chief executive of the national organisation. But it has tested him. Even grizzled, battletested administrators have struggled with the uncertainty and shifting goalposts of this pandemic. The Kiwi still figuring out the lay of the land assuredly has. Robinson hasn’t always presented as an authoritative face of New Zealand Rugby through this crisis. He has been marked absent for long stretches (no doubt buried beneath paperwork or the parade of meetings that pervade his calendar).
Under his watch the organisation has rather clumsily handled its dealings with Australia, South Africa and the Pasifika people in general. The campaign to host the Rugby Championship – in the end a good one to lose – was neither smooth nor successful. At times he’s also prone to spout company line in preference to good, honest, informed reflection.
But let’s cut him some slack. The toughest of times. Growing pains. Learning processes. Tight lips by necessity. All we see is the guy at the centre of the Zoom call, or in this instance sat opposite at the board table, doing his level best to tackle the hard questions.
Here’s one. The toughest part of what he’s had to deal with over the last eight or nine months?
‘‘The people side of it,’’ he replies. ‘‘The retrenchment. It’s right up there. We’ve got amazing staff, people who care deeply about the game right across our organisation, provincial unions and Super clubs, and to see the human toll Covid took was really challenging.’’
Across his organisation Robinson has had to lose between 25 and 30 percent of his staff. Cuts have been similarly deep across other sectors in the code. Painful.
He hasn’t had many days off either in 2020. But Robinson wants no part of wallowing in any sympathy for aworkload that has been relentless, consuming and problematic.
‘‘Right across rugby, across a range of different sectors and industries in leadership positions, in different roles, people have worked amassive amount of time this year. I’m no different. The reality is people are doing it tough all around the country.
‘‘We’re just delighted rugby has played a small part in galvanising people, and giving some inspiration to grab on to. We saw it through Super Rugby Aotearoa, and we’re still seeing it now when people watch the Bled on Saturday nights, just how much of a lift it’s giving people. That’s what we’re about.’’
By the way, Robinson’s wife Nova (of around 18 or 19 years, he says, apologising for his vague numeracy) has his back. Her father was Tuck Waaka, captain of New Zealand Maori and of the inaugural 1976 NPCwinning Bay of Plenty side. ‘‘She gets it,’’ he adds with a smile. ‘‘She’s from a Northland rugby family.’’ They have two boys, 15 and 11, and a girl, 14.
Robinson is hopeful of a shift towards normalcy in 2021, but acknowledges there are no guarantees. His organisation will post a loss between $40-45 million for 2020, slashing reserves of $93m well under the $50m mark. ‘‘We’re going to have to cut our cloth to ensure we’re sustainable,’’ he says. ‘‘We can’t continue to post losses like this.’’
Until the world opens back up, Robinson essentially can’t trade off his most valuable commodity – the All Blacks.
We’re just delighted rugby has played a small part in galvanising people, and giving some inspiration to grab on to. We saw it through Super Rugby Aotearoa, and we’re still seeing it now when people watch the Bled on Saturday nights, just how much of a lift it’s giving people. That’s what we’re about.’ MARK ROBINSON, NEW ZEALAND RUGBY CHIEF EXECUTIVE
‘‘Whether we’ll host international teams in July remains to be seen, but we are starting to get more certainty around our domestic professional competitions next year. Then, hopefully, we can clarify what’s beyond that in a trans-Tasman competition. October-November seems a long time away in terms of the All Blacks touring north.’’
Talk is ongoing with unions in the north and the intent is positive. Everyone is going to need to maximise earnings when the world gets back on its feet.
On that note, let’s talk relationships with principal partners Australia and South Africa. The inference has been that neither is best pleased with NZ Rugby. There have been allegations of heavy-handedness and arrogance from the Aussies around Super Rugby negotiations and RA chairman Hamish McLennan has repeatedly tagged the transTasman alliance as being at its ‘‘lowest ebb’’. The South
Africans have also taken umbrage over the sudden realignment of Super Rugby, which they’ve viewed as a Kiwi initiative.
Robinson shrugs off suggestions things aren’t ticketyboo with the Aussies, though acknowledges they have a different way of doing things that side of the ditch, often involving headline-grabbing comments via the media.
He calls the relationship ‘‘positive’’ and says his organisation has been ‘‘very comfortable’’ with the way they have conducted themselves in discussions.
‘‘Certain people in Australia
have said certain things, but we’ve never felt we had to go titfor-tat in that … any working relationship at a time of high stakes and uncertainty, you’re going to have robust discussions and differences of opinion. We think it builds greater understanding and respect.’’
He was similarly steadfast around South Africa, ‘‘a rugby country we respect massively… we see them as key partners for the future around the international game, and every signal we’ve had, right until very recently, is they’re absolutely committed long-term to the Rugby Championship’’.
But he makes no apologies for a Super Rugby realignment precipitated by Covid. ‘‘Change in this space creates inherent tension and situations that aren’t always enjoyable to work through. But we’re all tasked with trying to balance the best things for our national unions with relationships and partnerships for the long-term.’’
And Pasifika? NZ Rugby’s decision not to open up Super Rugby next year to a group aligned with the islands caused much consternation, and direct criticism from players’ boss Rob Nichol and All Blacks legend, and former NZR president, Bryan Williams. The union’s Aratipu review had opened the door; and NZR had slammed it shut on them.
‘‘There are always emotions in rugby, and we love that people care so much,’’ he says. ‘‘But when you look at the uncertain environment for next year, with potential impacts on revenue, and funding cuts across our game, we had to ask serious questions about whether we could support a team. Ultimately we didn’t think we could go there.’’
Robinson says he has spoken with Williams and Nichol, as well as others closely aligned with the Pasifika bid, and assured them of the intent to have involvement in a fullyfledged Super Rugby competition for 2022 and beyond. NZR retains, he adds, a strong sense of trust and respect in a ‘‘great’’ relationship with the players’ association.
Nothing gets easier or smoother for Robinson. Super Rugby Aotearoa for 2021 is just days from being packaged and unveiled, and the 2022 plans will follow shortly after (think 12 teams, with strong Pasifika involvement). But a lot remains up in the Covid-infused air.
‘‘Every area of the game at the moment is under pressure,’’ says Robinson. ‘‘We’re facing massive financial and sustainability challenges right across the game. We’re having to reposition and reimagine what the game means in this country and chart away forward with a range of different stake-holders.
‘‘We want the community game to be valued and appropriately resourced, but to do that we have to find efficiencies across our business and away in this environment to increase revenue dramatically and quickly. That’s how we can start to give the game confidence and ensure it can grow and flourish in the future.’’
It’s as well Robinson is in good heart. He has a long and tricky road ahead to negotiate.