As
the Herald’s Gregor Paul reports, NZR is trying to build a globalised multi-billion brand to rival the likes of Manchester United, the New York Yankees, or the Dallas Cowboys.
But to do so, rugby fans here are likely to be the ones to lose.
NZR commercial general manager Yarnie Guthrie told the Herald that Japan, the United States, United Kingdom and Western Europe are the four key markets.
Why? More people and more money.
“They are the top four for us,” Guthrie said. “We have almost saturation of rugby activity in the UK and Europe because we go there on a Northern tour every year.
“The job to do in Japan and North America is to create more rugby content. We get our teams playing in those markets with a bit more regularity to enable them to brand-build in a meaningful way.”
The All Blacks are due to play another game at Chicago’s historic Soldier Field later this year against Ireland.
The first match between the two teams on the shore of Lake Michigan was an epic encounter, with Ireland winning for the first time against us. So, unsurprising, the match this year sold out in just a couple of days.
Last year, the All Blacks also moved a home game to San Diego to play Fiji.
It was not exactly a blockbuster test match for our season which included a series against England. The type of game that historically would be played in our regional rugby hubs like Hamilton, New Plymouth, or Napier.
Instead, NZR saw the opportunity for more cash. And it worked.
The per head spend at the match in Southern California was six times higher than at Eden Park.
This is the commercial formula NZR now works to as it wants to double its $270 million annual revenue.
It is also one of the results of the 2022 Silver Lake deal.
When buying a 5% stake, the US fund manager determined that the All Blacks were worth $3.5 billion despite only having annual revenue of just over a quarter of a billion dollars.
Silver Lake saw a huge amount of untapped potential.
Unfortunately for fans who bleed black here, that value was overseas - their value has largely been tapped out.
Next year, the All Blacks won’t play in the Rugby Championship and will instead tour South Africa, where they will play three or possibly four tests.
A mouth-watering match-up for fans of the game around the world but it will mean less international rugby on our shores.
In his article, Paul broke down what has happened and what is going to happen to our winter schedules.
Between the World Cups of 2012 and 2019, the All Blacks played 44 home tests. Now, it is likely they will play 33 between 2020 and 2027.
Instead of big test matches in Wellington, Christchurch, or dare we say Eden Park, fans will see more games move to big markets like Tokyo, Los Angeles, or London.
The All Blacks are our team and always will be.
But as NZR chases treasures abroad there is a danger the men in black lose further support at home, or worse become a show we must travel to watch, like Team NZ.
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