IRB apologises to NZ rugby over Pasifika meeting

11.45am

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has apologised to New Zealand officials for being kept in the dark over the issue of privatising Pacific Island rugby.

New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Chris Moller accepted the apology from IRB counterpart Mike Miller and chairman Syd Millar at a meeting in London this morning (NZ time).

Earlier this year IRB officials in Auckland heard the Pacific Island proposal from Cullen Sports, the company controlling the New Zealand Warriors rugby league franchise. Cullen Sports wants to create and back a franchise comprising players from Samoa, Tonga and Fiji in a new-look Super 12 championship beyond 2005.

The NZRU were unaware of the meeting until the issue was revealed in media reports a week ago.

Moller said the IRB bosses had apologised for "any inconvenience or embarrassment" that may have been caused to Sanzar.

"That (the apology) was one thing we were looking for but we didn't have to ask for it," Moller told Radio Sport.

"It was offered to us and suggested that in retrospect it would have been a good idea to involve Sanzar at an earlier point in time."

Moller said the IRB's oversight had done little to impact on the relationship with them and the NZRU, which had frayed when New Zealand lost the 2003 World Cup sub-hosting rights nearly two years ago.

"Relationships with the IRB have been extremely good in the last year, we're working well with them in a number of forums," he said.

"Certainly this has been a hiccup but we've now made up face to face."

Moller said the IRB agreed any proposals related to the Super 12 should be the domain the Sanzar unions -- New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.

" And they've made it clear to Cullen Sports at the time that they met that in their view it was not in their 'gift' to be talking about Sanzar matters or promise any entry to Sanzar tournaments."

Moller said he also tabled further media reports that Cullen Sports was seeking a significant financial relationship with Samoan rugby. However, it was agreed that was presently an issue for Samoan rugby.

Both the IRB and Sanzar believed the first priority was to confirm the tests in July involving a combined Pacific Island team away to the three Sanzar nations.

"We strongly believe, along with the IRB, that the real focus in the short term should be on that team," Moller said.

"Get it up and running, get the games played and get the money flowing back into the islands and then we can look to the next development from there."

Cullen Sports boss Mick Watson flew to London this week for talks with Moller and other Sanzar officials.

However, Moller said talks with the IRB on numerous other matters were to continue tomorrow and it was unlikely his tight schedule would allow a chance to meet with Watson.

He had left a telephone message with Watson "just to tell him where matters are at.

"That suggests we're not just deferring it for the sake of deferring it."

Moller said he had warned Watson last Friday that it was unlikely they could meet in London.

- NZPA