NZ Rugby under fire after Players' Association boss claims legal obligations breached in explosive interview
New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association boss Rob Nichol has taken aim at NZ Rugby’s “blunt and ill-conceived” plans for the future and the power play approach that threatens to alienate its closest partners.
In an explosive interview, Nichol says NZ Rugby breached legal obligations to consult the Players’ Association before announcing plans for the 2021 Super Rugby season. He is refusing to give up hope of getting a Pasifika team off the ground next year, and says NZ Rugby’s kingmaker approach to Super Rugby risks isolating this country from the rugby world.
On Thursday, NZ Rugby announced Super Rugby Aotearoa would return in 2021, with the addition of a final, and the hope of then staging cross-over matches with the five Australian teams.
NZ Rugby’s board rejected several proposals for a Pacific side in 2021, including one from Moana Pasifika which had the Players’ Association’s support, with chairman Brent Impey saying the team would not be ready in time and the commercial arrangements did not stack up.
From 2022, NZ Rugby plans to add a minimum of three teams to Super Rugby Aotearoa. Negotiations are ongoing with Moana Pasifika, Kanaloa Hawaii, the Western Force, Fiji Drua and the South China Lions, whose pitch is to be based out of Bay of Plenty.
Nichol, however, says future formats are far from set in stone.
“From our perspective we were affronted yesterday. New Zealand Rugby has a contractual obligation to us to agree any competitions and all related financial arrangements. We haven’t agreed what’s come out in the last 24 hours so we’re sitting there going ‘where’s that respect gone’,” Nichol said. “As far as we are concerned that conversation is still live.
“There’s a big difference between a blunt and rather ill-conceived statement that came out of the New Zealand board yesterday – there’s another option where you work with people and they accept it because they are a part of it and they respect you for making that effort.
“Rather than the Pasifika community feeling let down, frustrated, disappointed and relationships strained to say the very least you actually end up with them standing alongside you.”
While a sixth New Zealand-based team faced opposition from the five existing franchises due to concerns around cannibalising talent, support and commercial resources, it would allow each side to stage more home matches and alleviate some of the heavy attrition rates felt during the inaugural season.
“What we’re still pushing for over the next three weeks is rather than people working in isolation we’re able to create an opportunity where NZ Rugby, the Players’ Association, Pasifika community and other key stakeholders like the clubs, Sky TV get in a room and exhaust all opportunities to see where this fits.
“That opportunity hasn’t presented itself because with NZ Rugby running its bid process it creates all sorts of issues – and as it turned out it was a bit process with nothing at the end of it; no certainty, no nothing. It’s left a real hollow feeling. They’ve announced some intentions but they’ve got nowhere with it. It doesn’t allow for cooperation.
“The players told us this year how tough it was playing Aotearoa and to maintain performance when you’re playing the best teams for more than three games in a row is a really big ask. When you bring a sixth team in you can immediately place the byes where you want; you can immediately afford to rotate.”
NZR insists the proposed Super Rugby schedule for the next two years will deliver the best possible outcome, despite the omission of a Pacific team for next year.https://t.co/rCGvCFHNEE
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 1, 2020
NZ Rugby’s expressions of interest approach to reshaping Super Rugby has drawn widespread criticism, particularly from Rugby Australia who were essentially told to cut at least two teams and therefore did not apply.
Nichol says there needs to be perspective about how much Australia can bring to the table, and a changing of attitudes in the way in which NZ Rugby conducts its business.
“What we don’t want is someone trying to be the kingmaker in this situation. As soon as someone feels they’re in a position to dictate, a whole lot of other people want to take them down.
“We have five teams and a commercial market that’s smaller than New South Wales. Australia comes with assets. They come with experience, and legacy. Respect that legacy and work with them. This business of an eight-team competition with three new teams, we don’t get that.
“From our perspective you don’t go out with another option until you’ve exhausted the logical one which is working with Australia and the Pacific Islands to form something across trans-Tasman Pacific.
“If you’re Australia, you’re asking ‘what have we done wrong?’
“Why would you have a competition that involves the Western Force and not New South Wales, Queensland and the Brumbies? That splits Australian rugby. New Zealand players, we don’t want to be part of that. Not unless it’s an absolute last resort. It’s not our starting point.
“Our advice is to work with Australia, help make them stronger, that’s what is going to benefit us all in the long run. We prefer a humble approach where we work with people and attempt to come up with solutions.”
In failing to work with its partners, Nichol says NZ Rugby hasn’t considered all the options such as World Rugby potentially supporting Pacific Island development teams to underpin a Pasifika team, and continuing the revived North versus South concept that proved a major hit this year.
“It went down so well this year. The players absolutely loved it; the fans loved it and that was without crowds. Imagine if you had crowds and did three game series a la State of Origin. And imagine in a World Cup year if you included the women, and did an age grade team to make it three games a weekend.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF0WG_2AZvK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
With existing SANZAAR contracts in place Nichol says NZ Rugby cannot commit to anything for 2022 and beyond.
“When you’re running a bidding process for something you can’t commit to, what’s going on? That’s the first big question.
“There’s nothing wrong with New Zealand doing what they feel is best. But we don’t think the approach New Zealand has taken in saying we have to be the kingmaker is necessarily the right approach. This a pandemic. You get through these things by working together.
“We fully appreciate the five existing clubs want certainty. Everyone wants certainty right now. But it’s also a time for everyone to stay really calm cool and collected.
“Now is the time for the SANZAAR partnership to get stronger. Otherwise we really do risk becoming isolated in the rugby world.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Pick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
15 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
4 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
4 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
15 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
15 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
15 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
15 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
15 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
15 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to comments