RUGBY - New-look team to tackle massive budget blowout

A new-look board of directors is set to take the blade to the budget as the Northland Rugby Union prepares for a huge financial loss.
Two new directors were elected to the board this week, Whangarei lawyer Andrew Golightly and school teacher Ian Smith. Chairman Wayne Peters and accountant Craig Gunson were re-elected.
New Whangarei district councillor Sharon Morgan stood down as did Whangarei businessman Geoff Crawford. John Campbell, Murray Dunn and Sid Going remain on the board.
But the new board is set for a challenge as it tries to to turn around the financial fortunes of the union in time for a national review of provincial competitions due at the end of next year.
Peters, who will resume as chairman, said the NRU is bracing itself for a brutal financial loss this season and was now taking the knife to the budget with the aim of getting the union back into the black by the end of 2008.
Early indications point to a loss of more than $300,000.
"Nearly every union in the country has been budgeting for a loss, certainly most of the non (Super 14 ) franchise unions will be in the same boat as us, they are all looking at finishing the year in the red," Peters said.
"Probably in two week's time we (the NRU) will be a lot clearer about what the final figure will be. That's when the player payments finish. But I know the player-payments budget will be significantly less in 2008 as there were a number of players we had to pay this year who did not even play one single game," he said.
"The loss last year was around that $104,000 mark; the loss this year will be more than that, but we will be back in the black next year."
The budget squeeze is expected to impact most directly on player payments for the Air NZ Cup team, but will also filter down through the development team, under-20s and under-18s and the highly successful Northland Rugby Academy.
The NRU budget had the Air NZ Cup campaign costing more than $1 million this year.
Budget cuts were unavoidable, Peters said, but the NRU would still meet all NZ Rugby Union obligations for player development and community rugby initiatives. The major aim was to ensure Northland remained in the premier provincial competition, he said.
"We have got to look forward where our best money will be spent. There will be a certain focus on age-group rugby from 2008 and beyond. There are two unions in the country who are publicly stating they are reconsidering if they can stay in the Air NZ Cup at all; I am aware there is one other union stating the same, but we believe that if we opt out voluntarily then Northland will never be welcomed back as a premier union again.
"We are not prepared to risk Northland's premier status and are moving to protect our status."
Northland's parlous finances were not helped by modest crowds attending provincial fixtures at their base at Okara Park while the battle to secure sponsorship funding was difficult.
But Peters said the NRU was pleased with the coaching staff and believed the player base was there to ensure future success on and off the field.