All Blacks sponsor: 'I despair at the controversy'

ASB Bank chief executive Barbara Chapman. Photo / Michael Craig.

One of the major sponsors of the All Blacks admitted last night that they have 'despaired' at the controversy that has enveloped the sport in 2016.

ASB Bank CEO Barbara Chapman used her speech at Thursday night's rugby awards to gently chide New Zealand Rugby after a year of unprecedented success on the field was sullied by a series of regrettable off-field incidents.

The Chiefs 'Strippergate' controversy, the Aaron Smith bathroom incident at Christchurch airport, the homophobic slurs attributed to a Chiefs player and perhaps worst of all the Losi Filipo affair - where the Wellington Rugby Union initially backed Filipo despite his involvement in a brutal, unprovoked attack and NZR were also slow to grasp the ramifications of the case - all cast a negative shadow over the sport.

The stories dominated the media for weeks, led to condemnation from various women's groups and drew comment from senior government ministers, including former Prime Minister John Key.

Chapman reminded the NZRU - and the black tie audience - that such incidents had not gone unnoticed.

"As a New Zealander, and a woman, I share with you the joys and highlights of the game but despair at the controversy which can engulf the sport we all love," said Chapman. "In many ways, rugby is a microcosm of New Zealand society; so much good and positive work is done by the rugby community and yet, just like New Zealand society as a whole, there is always more work to be done around building diversity and ensuring people from all backgrounds feel included and valued."

Chapman said it had been another "hugely successful year" for the sport, but the role of rugby and the conduct of players had "been the subject of a great deal of media scrutiny and kitchen table debate".

"Rugby, as well as being something we love, is a lightning rod for everything which is good, and a few things which are not good, about New Zealand. As a nation we feel that rugby represents us and we want to be proud of it. As a sponsor our team at ASB aligns with what is best about rugby, and we feel bad when that standard is not met."

Chapman also congratulated the NZRU on the appointment of Dr Farah Palmer to their board, though noted drily that it came after "nearly 125 years of no women representation".

Chapman's speech was significant. It was a talking point among the guests at the conclusion of the night, and probably reflects the damage done to rugby's off-field image during 2016.

It was also unusual for a sponsor within the rugby fraternity to air their dissatisfaction - albeit very balanced - as most sponsors associated with the national game over the last few decades have tended to take a 'see no evil, hear no evil' approach.

This was best epitomised by the infamous comments of Margaret Comer, the corporate services executive of Gallagher Group, who were major Chiefs sponsors, in the immediate aftermath of the 'Strippergate' affair.

"If a woman takes her clothes off and walks around in a group of men, what are we supposed to do if one of them tries to touch her," said Comer. "It's not nice and perhaps the stripper shouldn't have been hired, but I'm reluctant to say that the boys were out of line."