Blues given olive branch

– New Zealand Rugby (NZR) bought back a private investor’s stake in the struggling Blues yesterday after an independent review found the ownership structure was “unsustainable”, the governing body said.

NZR said it had purchased Bolton Equities Limited’s (BEL) 40% stake for an undisclosed fee and was on the lookout for a new private investor.

The once-powerful Blues ended the season at the bottom of the New Zealand conference for the third straight year and have not made the play-offs since 2011.

While NZR did not release the independent review, governance issues are believed to have played a part in the problems at New Zealand’s worst-performing franchise.

The BEL investors reportedly clashed with other stakeholders, made up of provincial rugby unions, back in 2015 over whether to retain thethen coach John Kirwan.

BEL bought the stake in 2013 as part of a scheme to attract private investors to improve the game’s finances. –

Wellington