Editorial: Freedom of speech is healthy - even in rugby

Opinion

When the New Zealand Rugby Union sold broadcasting rights to Sky Television, it surely cannot have thought control of comment was part of the deal. It cannot have supposed that it could insist pictures of the Air New Zealand Cup were accompanied by bland, uncritical commentary.

Yet, according to Murray Mexted, that is what it has done. The former All Black claims he has been suspended from the Sky commentary team for criticising plans to cull four provincial teams from the competition.

Mexted's remarks appear to have followed a memo from Sky management to producers and commentators, asking them to "not cross the line" when it came to criticism of the rugby union, especially the dropping of teams. Subsequently, he says he received a letter from Sky's director of sport pointing out that the rugby union was a commercial partner of the network and that he should "refrain from being critical".

This seems like the most unequal of partnerships. If Mexted's assumption about his suspension is correct, the broadcaster is under the sway of the rugby union to an unwholesome degree.

Sky may, with an eye on future broadcasting rights, wish to retain good relations with rugby's administrators.

But it should never countenance achieving this by stopping its commentators from doing their jobs - heaping praise and dispensing criticism as they see fit.

Anything less than this freedom is unhealthy. It neuters a key forum for debate on the national game. A population schooled in rugby will soon identify a broadcaster's unwillingness to criticise. Sky's reputation will suffer. So, too, will the image of the game.

With New Zealand's hosting of the World Cup looming, that is the last thing the rugby union and Sky want.

Both must recognise that criticism is critical to their business.