NZRU still mad at Aussie cup vote

The New Zealand Rugby Union says Dilip Kumar's resignation as chairman of the Australian Rugby Union won't make any difference to its concerns about Australia not supporting its 2011 World Cup bid.

NZRU chairman Jock Hobbs said his union reaffirmed its concerns about the ARU's decision to not support the bid.

Kumar resigned at Thursday's ARU board meeting and has decided not to make any comment.

"Despite some previous media comment, our concern was that the ARU board chose to support Japan in the RWC 2011 vote, so from that perspective, the resignation of Mr Kumar does not change our position nor alleviate our concerns about the ARU's decision," Hobbs said in a statement yesterday.

He said NZRU's concerns were delivered to the ARU in writing.

"I have written to the ARU board through Mr Kumar outlining our concerns and the damage this decision has done to the Australia-New Zealand relationship."

NZRU chief executive Chris Moller indicated earlier there would be repercussions for the ARU over its vote for Japan after earlier appearing to support New Zealand's bid.

New Zealand officials were understood to be also annoyed that Kumar had tried to claim credit for a supposed thawing in transtasman rugby relations after the fallout over the 2003 World Cup sub-hosting bid by New Zealand.

Kumar's resignation came after a Queensland-led coup, the Sydney Morning Herald reported yesterday.

"Kumar supported Japan's bid to host the tournament but the Kiwis believed he had promised it to them in the eventual 12-9 ballot.

"Their wrath is such that the ARU feared New Zealand would not back Australia's push for a fifth team when the Super 14 competition next expands," Ron Masters wrote.

Any expansion would be conditional on the support of New Zealand, which, along with South Africa and Australia, comprises the competition's governing body, Sanzar.

The Herald said influential rugby figures in the corporate and marketing world were looking to attract former chief executive John O'Neill back to the code.

But O'Neill is on a high in his job as Australian soccer supremo and with Australia now in next year's soccer World Cup, he is unlikely to return to rugby in the near future.

* Former Wallaby Ron Graham was yesterday elected chairman to replace Kumar. Graham has been a ARU director since 2000.

- NZPA