Pay cuts are just the tip of the iceberg for New Zealand Rugby when it comes to COVID-19
Pay cuts are the topic of the day as New Zealand Rugby (NZR) deals with the ramifications of COVID-19.
All Blacks coach Ian Foster and star playmaker Beauden Barrett have both confirmed that their back pockets will be in line for shrinking as NZR deals with the fallout of COVID-19.
Rugby Australia are bracing for ‘significant cuts’ after reporting a $9.4m loss.
A return to Super Rugby is all but off the table at this point, as are the chances that the All Blacks home July internationals against Wales and Scotland go ahead.
New Zealand’s rugby talent pool now faces the very real possibility of no competition for the foreseeable future. As a result, pay cuts were inevitable and are a requirement for NZR to stay above water in these deeply uncertain times.
The financial outlook at NZR was already difficult prior to this global health pandemic and the sport itself was very much on moving ground.
With the disconnect between the grassroots and professional game being larger than ever, plans were already in place to shift provincial unions toward a more administrative role, with a key eye toward increasing participation numbers rather than having a primary focus on producing strong sides for the NPC which begins around August.
Just as fans were getting their heads around that, club rugby was also swiftly taken off the table as COVID-19 gained more and more traction in New Zealand.
For NZR, once COVID-19 is over, their big play will be getting some form of top-level rugby going again quickly.
But what does that actually look like? It’s safe to say that nobody really knows at this point and any scenario will be dependent on a number of factors but is ultimately dependent on when New Zealand comes out of a national lockdown.
If restrictions are lifted by mid-April, chances of something happening on the rugby front will increase, but if the lockdown goes beyond its initial four-week period, chances of anything will rapidly diminish.
For the first time since 1916, a New Zealand provincial competition will be cancelled as NZR battle with finances in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.https://t.co/126VUCOZ5p
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 30, 2020
From a logistical perspective alone, this is no easy fix at all, regardless of a national lockdown or not. From a financial perspective, all parties want rugby getting back underway as soon as possible, not the least of which is the players.
Whether that’s an altered domestic Super Rugby competition between the five franchises or an All Blacks test series against countries from close by, it’s hard to see NZR putting much of a direct focus being put on any rugby that sits under that, i.e. provincial and club rugby.
Herein lies another opportunity for NZR, but it would be a gutsy one to even consider and would cause a logistical nightmare.
If it were to come to fruition, for the first time in a long time, provincial rugby could end up being the premier platform for the sport on these shores in 2020, at least as aside to the All Blacks.
There has already been some suggestion that Mitre 10 Cup could start earlier. What are the odds that Mitre 10 Cup could be played as a build-up to whatever international series/matches the All Blacks play toward the latter end of the year?
Fans would rejoice with more All Blacks being involved in provincial rugby and it would be of huge benefit to the communities some of the provincial unions serve.
If the Mitre 10 Cup is to be the first taste of the sport in the aftermath of COVID-19, imagine the spike in interest levels for a competition that has recently seemed almost forgotten by many at NZR.
Usually played around the same time as the Rugby Championship where so much of the focus is on the All Blacks, the passion of the grassroots game isn’t lost, just the attention.
In 2019, Mitre 10 Cup had barely got going before the majority of the nation turned its attention toward the Rugby World Cup in Japan. By the time the World Cup was over, so too was Mitre 10 Cup. That was the last real attention anyone gave to rugby prior to the New Year when franchises were gearing up for Super Rugby again and now, a few months later, here we are in the midst of no rugby whatsoever thanks to a global pandemic.
That lack of mainstream attention could rapidly turn around if NZR were to say no to Super Rugby coming back in 2020 and instead focus on getting the country’s top players back playing in their provincial strips.
Of course, this is all speculation because what else can rugby fans do at this point?
Comments on RugbyPass
I know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
2 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
2 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
24 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
24 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to commentsPot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
24 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
11 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
3 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to comments