Don’t mistake silence for apathy Rennie urges Australia to stick with Super Rugby

New Zealand Rugby has remained silent since Rugby Australia threatened to dump Super Rugby Pacific, but to interpret that as apathy would be a mistake.

Behind closed doors the reaction from the NZ Rugby board and its leading administrators was likely to have been a combination of frustration, and surprise.

Until RA chairman Hamish McLennan revealed to Australian media last Thursday that his organisation was considering leaving the trans-Tasman competition after 2023, NZ Rugby had little inkling that he was going to push the hot button.

Much of its focus was on the final between the Blues and Crusaders at a sold-out Eden Park in Auckland last Saturday night. McLennan did a good job of diverting that.

While he was reported to have told NZ Rugby counterpart Stewart Mitchell during a dinner that RA could walk out of Super Rugby Pacific, the tone of that statement, where it was made in passing or otherwise, wasn’t enough to set-off alarm bells. It’s not quiet any more. What everyone wants to understand, now, is what happens next. We do know Super Rugby franchises on both sides of the Tasman immediately contacted each other on Thursday, and feedback between the parties was understood to be supportive and positive.

Administrators from NZ Rugby and RA are also understood to have been in touch.

Prior to this latest blow-up there had been talk of introducing a women’s’ tournament and establishing a Super Rugby Pacific Commission to provide more thrust in the commercial and marketing sides of the business.

That was viewed as a commitment by NZ Rugby to a competition that had constantly been manipulated since its conception in 1996.

Stability was needed. It was hoped the 12-team format, which was formed this year and included newcomers the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika, would provide that.

McLennan’s declaration RA is now considering a domestic-only competition, which would force it to compete against established tournaments such as the NRL, AFL and the A-League, should worry anyone who has a vested interest in Super Rugby Pacific.

McLennan says RA deserves more money, and that NZ should be prepared to shell out funds from the superior broadcast deal it struck with broadcaster Sky in late 2020. That is worth around $101 million, compared to the $32m RA receives from Nine/ Stan.

In 2020 RA blew-up at NZ Rugby’s earlier suggestion that they only contribute two or three teams to a fresh tournament after the existing format, which included five South African teams and the Jaguares from Argentina, was torpedoed by

Covid-19.

Despite NZ Rugby then stating that if RA wanted to have five teams in a tournament, it must be prepared to stump up for them, it ended up shelling out more money to RA when it threatened to walk away last year.

Now McLennan says RA wants more. Unlike NZ Rugby, which recently signed-off a deal worth $200m with US private equity firm Silver Lake, RA has yet to strike a private equity deal of its own.

It has been reported that NZ would like RA to also sign an

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is urging Australian officials not to abandon Super Rugby Pacific, saying it’s important for the development of his players that they continue to face New Zealand sides.

RA chairman Hamish McLennan dropped a bombshell last week by reportedly telling Kiwi counterpart Stewart Mitchell that Australia would consider going it alone in Super Rugby from 2024 onwards.

McLennan said in a later interview that RA would fulfil its 2023 Super Rugby Pacific commitments but hinted an allAustralian competition could be launched after that.