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'We voted for Gus Pichot': New Zealand Rugby hits out at Six Nations rivals, demands change at World Rugby

By Online Editors
(Getty Images/World Rugby via Getty Images)

New Zealand Rugby has unequivocally outlined its voting stance for the World Rugby chairman elections by putting the boot into the inherent Six Nations’ self-interest and stating the need for major global reforms.

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Secret voting for the World Rugby chairman role contested by incumbent Bill Beaumont and Argentina’s Agustin Pichot ceases on Friday (NZT) but a winner will not be declared until May 12.

The Herald has previously reported that the Six Nations will fall in behind Beaumont, with Sanzaar instead favouring Pichot’s vision for long-overdue change, leaving a north versus south standoff and Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama with a potentially casting say.

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Following NZ Rugby’s annual general meeting, chairman Brent Impey bluntly outlined exactly why New Zealand and its Southern Hemisphere allies have had enough of the status quo.

“Yes we have voted and we voted for Gus Pichot,” Impey said. “We understand it’s very close.

“We have felt dissatisfaction over the lack of progress over the last few years over a range of issues, whether they be the Nations Championship, emerging nations, issues around eligibility, rule changes.

“While we’ve got great respect for Bill Beaumont as an individual, this has become an issue where there has been a lot of self-protection from existing players versus those of us, particularly the Sanzaar nations, who want to see the game grow.

“That’s why we have supported him.

“If you look back over many years World Rugby has been very frustrating from a New Zealand perspective.”

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Impey went further by singling out Ireland, Scotland and Wales for blockading attempts to launch the touted 12-team Nations Championship, despite the promise of $6.6 billion investment over the first 12 years.

“That was the straw that said this organisation [World Rugby] needs major reform.

“What became very clear was that a number of countries in the Six Nations – I’m primarily talking about the Celtic countries and Italy – were not prepared to be open to promotion relegation and moving away from their protected competition.

“On this side of the equator, we were open to the inclusion of the likes of Japan and Fiji and other emerging markets longer term.”

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Impey stressed NZ Rugby had previously tried to push for eligibility changes – ironically now being championed by Beaumont in order to secure Samoa’s vote – that would allow the likes of Charles Piutau and Steven Luatua to represent their Pacific heritage after being captured by tier-one nations.

Using NZ Rugby as an example, Impey said while his organisation is not there yet constitutional changes had been made to include greater M?ori and female representation on New Zealand’s board with Jennifer Kerr joining Dr Farah Palmer.

“World Rugby simply doesn’t represent anything like that.”

On the field, NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson faced Pichot several times in England when their rival Cambridge and Richmond teams squared off.

“He was a typical little stroppy Latin halfback,” Robinson said. “He was a great guy, a lot of fun off the field and a pain on it. We’ve become good friends over the course of the last five years.

“He makes a difference in every setting he’s in. He’s very passionate; he cares deeply about all levels of the game. He’s innovative. He’s entrepreneurial. He’s someone I know, if he is successful, would invest every minute into doing his absolute best for the good of the game.”

As the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to cripple the code Robinson revealed World Rugby has, meanwhile, offered to advance the £7.5 million (NZD $15.2m) payment made to all tier-one nations in a typical four-year cycle.

NZ Rugby is yet to decide whether to access that support now, rather than wait, but after posting a $7.4m loss for 2019 and projecting a 70 per cent decline in revenue this year, Robinson indicated that payment would help plug the bleeding, somewhat.

“It is what it is around World Rugby they’ve got limitations themselves. We’re certainly grateful for all the support we can get from any avenue.

“In terms of the gaps we have we need to do more in terms of looking to raise more revenue and reduce costs where possible.

“Our team is modeling when we might be looking at engaging in that support. All unions will be in slightly different positions. Those in the north this pandemic has hit them at a stage where they are coming into their summer so they might not be as drastically hit as we have been.

“Certainly in the Southern Hemisphere I know this is impacting very seriously so there’s immediate conversations around that support now.”

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J
Jon 41 minutes ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

32 Go to comments
j
john 3 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

15 Go to comments
A
Adrian 5 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

15 Go to comments
T
Trevor 8 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

21 Go to comments
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