Heavy Tongan loss concerns new NZR boss

Incoming New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson believes Tonga’s huge loss to the All Blacks is a concerning reflection of the Pacific Islands situation.

World No 1 New Zealand pummelled world No 15 Tonga 92-7 in Hamilton in a World Cup warmup that showed the alarming gap between the haves and the have-nots in the game.

With Pacific Islands teams battling to clear some of their talent for World Cup duties from wealthy clubs, Robinson, who has served on World Rugby committees, believes more needs to be done.

‘‘I think we saw on Saturday that it is concerning for the international game to have fixtures like that when we know that Tonga had so much more to offer,’’ Robinson said yesterday as he was confirmed to take over the New Zealand Rugby hot seat from Steve Tew.

Other Pacific Islands teams also had plenty to offer the global game with their vibrancy, he said.

‘‘How critical if World Rugby wants to be a truly global game, then we need all those Tier 2 teams to be as competitive as possible and to be able to grow other Tier 2 unions so that in time more teams can be competing at the World Cup.’’

Robinson comes in at an interesting juncture in world and southern hemisphere competitions and conceded New Zealand needed to weigh up its own situation with its neighbours in determining a path forward.

‘‘The major things that seem to be affecting the unions in the Pacific at the moment relate to accessing the best of their talent and playing the best competitions All Blacks flanker Ardie Savea rips through the middle of the Tongan defence in Hamilton. possible. We can do better on both counts there. They will be conversations we will look to continue,’’ he said.

Robinson described it as ‘‘a real shame’’ that World Rugby’s hopes of introducing its Nations Championship aimed at uniting the two hemispheres and the two tiers ‘‘couldn’t get a across the line’’.

He felt it could have been a real benefit to Pacific rugby.

‘‘Certainly in this part of the world we were huge supporters of that and we think that would have done an awful lot for Tier 2 competitions, our friends in the Pacific and other Tier 2 nations around the world as well.’’

He felt New Zealand would need to act with speed and flexibility to map out the new professional competitions path.

Fiji, Tonga and Samoa are all playing at the World Cup.