Lomu's former manager falls out with pub partners

Phil Kingsley-Jones has left the Tauranga pub he part-owned after a bitter falling-out with his partners.

The bar - named after the well-known raconteur and former mentor of rugby superstar Jonah Lomu - opened seven months ago on The Strand. It is understood to be thousands of dollars in debt and legal proceedings are due to begin in the High Court at Auckland on December 1.

Trading from yesterday under a new name, Cornerstone, the British-themed pub now has a new manager.

Gone with the 55-year-old Welshman, who had a one-third share in the bar, are all the rugby memorabilia and signed photographs.

Partner Mike Colosimo said "a bit of a crisis meeting" was called in mid-September when it became obvious the popular pub's expenses "far outweighed" what it was earning.

Eventually steps had to be taken to protect the company's assets. The correct financial position was still being established.

Mr Kingsley-Jones, who told the Herald at the gala opening in April that owning a bar was a childhood dream as he grew up in a village in south Wales, managed the day-to-day running with his fiancee Elsa and employed more than a dozen staff.

Mr Colosimo and John Harvey, partners in the company which is the main shareholder in the business, run other successful bars, none of which are affected. Until now, neither man had been involved in managing The Kingsley-Jones.

The situation there now was "a total mess - but it will be sorted out", Mr Colosimo said yesterday. The main thing was to keep the business trading back to profitability.

"As soon as funds are available I will pay the creditors, including the staff."

Mr Kingsley-Jones said he hoped the dispute would be settled amicably. Meanwhile, he was looking at "tons of options" for the future.

"We'll see where it takes us. The people of Tauranga have been wonderful and I would like to stay here," he said. "I have learned a lot and had a lot of fun."