Be courageous, leaders told
Players boss Rob Nichol has challenged the leaders of New Zealand rugby to seize the historic moment that stands before them and institute the changes called on by the damning Pilkington Review.
Nichol, chief executive of the NZ Rugby Players’ Association, is firmly advocating that New Zealand Rugby and its provincial union stakeholders sign up for a governance remake, as recommended by the review published late last year that described the national organisation as “unfit for purpose”, with a structure ill-suited for making decisions that best serve the modern game.
Nichol, appearing on Sky’s The Breakdown show, reaffirmed his view that the looming decision on the governance of NZ Rugby was the most important juncture the game has faced in this country since it turned professional.
“It is a massive opportunity and we’ve got to take it,” urged Nichol. “Historical models which governed the game in this country have served a purpose. But the world has evolved, society has changed, and sport at all levels in the community space is struggling.
“The skills and knowledge needed to keep a country of 5 million people at the top of rugby globally when we’re at the bottom of the world with a small economy, they’re different than 20-30 years ago. The big question we’ve all asked ourselves is are we fit for purpose for the future?
“We’ve embarked on this new partnership with a global private equity company (Silver Lake) who are sophisticated, smart, capable people. Everyone is agreed, off the back of this transaction, we need a board for the future that is going to put this game in great stead for the next 20-30 years.”
Asked about the consequences if the game did not get these decisions right, Nichol ramped up pressure on the existing NZR board and its provincial counterparts who have been widely reported to be at loggerheads over the best way to proceed.
“There’s a bit of distrust, and lack of confidence in the game at the moment,” he noted on The Breakdown. “There are real challenges out there. I think people are looking for our leaders to get us all on the same page, with a clear sense of what we’re trying to achieve, and behaviours we’ve all got to adhere to.
“What’s always stood us in great stead in New Zealand rugby is a team-first ethos. We’re looking for that at the moment, and that’s why it’s really important we take this opportunity.”
Nichol said the players’ association – representing only the country’s professional ranks – had essentially adopted the best needs of the wider game in playing its part in getting the Silver Lake investment across the line, and it was a similar ethos with constitutional change.
“The whole game agreed we needed to do this [review], the whole game agreed the terms of reference, and the whole game agreed on the expert panel to undertake the review. That panel spent months preparing and presenting a very comprehensive report that answered the question: are we fit for purpose?
“The answer was no. And now the only thing we’ve got to nail is the implementation of the expert panel’s best-practice recommendations. It seems logical, but not in New Zealand.”
The thrust of the issue is that the provincial unions, along with the Māori board, essentially control the appointment of the NZR board as at present constituted. They are being asked to cede that authority to modernise the makeup and add essential capability.
“History shows it takes courage to make really big decisions in key moments,” added Nichol. “What we’re asking is NZ Rugby, the provincial unions and Maori board to have the courage to trust the expert panel and commit to the recommendations in their entirety.
“If they don’t, you end up with a mitigated model and we’re likely to end up exactly where we are now in two years’, or we get a sub-standard outcome. That would be fatal.”
Nichol said it might reach a point where NZR’s board had to collectively fall on its swords to kick-start this process.
“Do they stand down and reapply through this new process to give everyone confidence? We would say yes. We would say honour and the report dictates they probably should do something along those lines.”
There was repeated talk on The Breakdown about a special general meeting being called to advance this decision. But NZ Rugby told Stuff no such meeting was planned this week.