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A former boss of New Zealand Rugby doubts recommendations from a panel inquiry into the organisation will be effective.
Released today, just over a week before the All Blacks kick off their World Cup campaign, the review was undertaken by a four-person panel that included former Fonterra executive David Pilkington, former All Blacks captain Graham Mourie, and experienced directors Anne Urlwin and Whaimutu Dewes.
It recommended two key changes: The first being the appointment of a skilled, high-performing board to govern the organisation and the second, the creation of a stakeholder council to ensure the voices of stakeholders are heard and interests represented collaboratively.
It also found a number of challenges rugby in New Zealand was facing, from participation rates being static if not declining to the spectator numbers down for domestic rugby to the structure of professional rugby domestically not being financially sustainable. It was also scathing of provincial rugby, with 59 per cent of the NPC unions’ expenditure on high performance, arguably at the expense of game development.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB, former NZRU chief executive David Moffett said club rugby was being ignored in New Zealand, even though it instated the provincial unions who in turn elected NZR officials.
David Moffett was the CEO of the NZRU from 1996 to 2000. Photo / Photosport
“New Zealand rugby itself behaves as though that doesn’t exist. And I think that is largely as a result of ignorance and arrogance and, and it, and that, and that has to stop. Now whether the proposals are going to be able to achieve that, I just don’t know.
“I think they’ve got to actually redefine the role of provincial rugby club rugby and also international rugby. Once they do those sorts of things, they can then sit down and work out how they’re going to deliver it but that’s how basic I think they’ve got to go back and have a look at this stuff.
“I’m surprised that anybody thought that they should actually get such a report done. Anybody can see that NZR as it’s being run at the moment is not fit for purpose. You didn’t need a report like this to tell you that.”
Following the release of the review, New Zealand Rugby Players Association chief executive Rob Nichol said it looked forward to supporting NZR and stakeholders on the implementation of the recommendations.
“It has been great to see the game undertake this Review. In our view, it was the responsible thing to do, and the right time to do it. As the terms of reference highlighted, the game is undergoing a period of substantial and rapid change. The size and complexity of the NZR operations and its value have grown significantly since professionalism. It is now a complex global sports business of significant scale, operating in a dynamic and growing global industry, balancing commercial, community and social objectives.
“The purpose of the review was to ensure NZR has fit-for-purpose constitutional arrangements, governance structures, processes and organisational capabilities moving forward. This will enable NZR to confront the challenges and maximize the opportunities, that will present themselves.
“We believe the panel has undertaken a thorough and consultative process resulting in a quality, evidence-based report with a compelling set of Recommendations for the game to now consider in detail. We all need to acknowledge and thank the panel for what is a significant and valuable piece of work. The report maps out a new way forward for NZR based on excellent research and observations, constructive thinking and sound logic, and importantly best practice governance.”
In a statement, NZR chair Dame Patsy Reddy thanked the panel “for their extensive and detailed report”, as well as those who contributed to the review.
“In December last year, the NZR board commissioned an independent review of our constitution and governance structure, with the aim of ensuring that rugby is best placed for the future.
“NZR received the review today and the Board will now take time to digest it fully. We are committed to considering all recommendations. We will consult with our member unions and stakeholders on their views and next steps to deliver the best possible governance framework for rugby in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
A statement was also sent on behalf of the provincial rugby union chairs.
“Like all people in rugby, we have read today’s Governance Review report with great interest. For decades, people in our positions as chairs of the Provincial Unions have served as kaitiaki of our great game and as the governors of today we take that role very seriously.
We are here to serve our rugby communities and the thousands of participants across the country who will demand that we put the game first. Any decisions that ultimately need to be made will be done so through that lens. This is a hugely important, deeply researched piece of work and, with that in mind, we are going to carefully consider the findings as a collective.
“Until then, we feel it wouldn’t be appropriate to comment further.”
Luke Kirkness is an Online Sports Editor for the NZ Herald. He previously covered consumer affairs for the Herald and was an assistant news director in the Bay of Plenty. He won Student Journalist of the Year in 2019.
