The battle for ownership of the Warriors could yet end up in court. Photo / Photosport
The battle for ownership of the Warriors could yet end up in court. Photo / Photosport
The battle to gain control of the New Zealand Warriors is heating up.
The Tongan-American NFL consortium headed by American politician Richard Fale is now considering legal action against the Auckland Rugby League, alleging that the ARL have breached a confidentiality agreement signed between the two parties.
In December last year, the two groups had discussions about a potential partnership to gain control of the NRL club, but that didn't eventuate.
"We had reached out to the ARL to potentially bring them in as a partner in our acquisition of the Warriors," Fale told the Herald. "We saw their success as vital for the success of the game in Auckland, so we agreed to fund all of their initiatives in regards to youth and development of the game in Auckland.
"We also shared with them our vision and methods by which we would operate the Warriors and how we would lead them to both championship and commercial success. This was all carried out under a Confidentiality Agreement which they very reluctantly signed, but they did sign."
Richard Fale. Photo / Facebook
Fale says the ARL have "violated" that agreement and alleges that they are attempting to use their proprietary information in a renewed bid for the Warriors.
"We have now begun to explore the legal options available to us in taking action against the ARL," said Fale. "We do this very reluctantly but understand we must to protect ourselves."
However, ARL chairman Cameron McGregor has disputed Fale's assertions.
"The ARL had carried out all the necessary research — with a view to purchasing the NZ Warriors — as early as October 2017, well before Mr Fale announced his interest in the club," said McGregor on Thursday. "As a result, the ARL has been in possession of all the information the organisation needed to make an informed decision, from a very early stage.
"All we have had is a conversation. Beyond a non-disclosure agreement, there have been no formal agreements or discussions with Mr Fale. He was firm in that he wanted controlling interest of the NZ Warriors, rather than the 50/50 joint ownership that we proposed.
"Ultimately, we agreed that we both wanted different things for rugby league in New Zealand, and nothing further has come of our discussion. No privileged information has been shared with anybody from the ARL, and we have no idea what Mr Fale is talking about — his allegations are vague. As far as the ARL is concerned, this matter is not in the interests of the game and is now closed."
Warriors owner Eric Watson. Photo / Greg Bowker
The ARL had previously completely due diligence and negotiated an exclusivity deal with the Warriors in November, but were unable to come to a final agreement with owner Eric Watson.
Three parties remain in the running to buy the Warriors, though Watson and his representatives had been keen to wrap up a deal before the start of the season. The Warriors' first game is Saturday March 10.
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