Super Rugby Aotearoa – Players Association head Rob Nichol claims New Zealand Rugby violated a legal obligation

The head of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association, Rob Nichol, has pointed to 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 that NZ Rugby violated legal obligations to consult with the Players Association before announcing plans for the 2021 Super Rugby season. He refuses to give up hope that a Pasifika team will take off next year, saying that NZ Rugby’s approach to Super Rugby risks isolating this country from the world of rugby.

On Thursday, NZ Rugby announced that Super Rugby Aotearoa would return in 2021, with the addition of a final, and the hope of later hosting crossover matches with all five Australian teams.

The NZ Rugby board rejected several proposals for a Pacific side in 2021, including one from Moana Pasifika, which was supported by the Players Association, and President Brent Impey said the team would not be ready in time and that the trade agreements did not accumulate.

Starting in 2022, NZ Rugby plans to add a minimum of three teams to Super Rugby Aotearoa. Negotiations are ongoing with Moana Pasifika, Kanaloa Hawaii, Western Force, Fiji Drua and South China Lions, all of which will launch in the Bay of Plenty.
Nichol, however, says future formats are far from set in stone.

“From our perspective, we were offended yesterday. New Zealand Rugby has a contractual obligation to us to agree on any competition and all related financial arrangements. We have not agreed on what has come out in the last 24 hours so we are sitting there going ‘where It’s ‘that respect is gone,’ “Nichol said. “As far as we are concerned, the conversation is still alive.

“There is a big difference between a forceful and somewhat ill-conceived statement that came out yesterday from the New Zealand board of directors: There is another option where you work with people and they accept it because they are part of it and they respect you for doing that. effort.

“Instead of the Pasifika community feeling disappointed, frustrated, disappointed and the relationships strained, to say the least, you end up with them by your side.”

While a New Zealand-based sixth team faced opposition from the five existing franchises due to concerns about cannibalizing talent, support and business resources, it would allow each side to host more home games and alleviate some of the high attrition rates felt during the inaugural season. .

“What we continue to push for the next three weeks is that instead of people working in isolation, we can create an opportunity where NZ Rugby, the Players Association, the Pasifika community and other key stakeholders such as clubs , Sky TV in a room and exhaust every opportunity to see where it fits.

“That opportunity has not arisen because with NZ Rugby running their bidding process it creates all kinds of problems, and it turned out it was a small process with nothing at the end; no certainty, nothing. Real feeling of emptiness. They have announced some intentions but They haven’t gotten anywhere, it doesn’t allow cooperation.

“The players told us this year how difficult it was to play against Aotearoa and maintaining performance when you play with the best teams for more than three games in a row is a great question. When you bring a sixth team, you can immediately place the byes where you want; he can immediately afford to rotate. “

NZ Rugby’s Expressions of Interest approach to reshaping Super Rugby has drawn widespread criticism, particularly from Rugby Australia, who were essentially told to remove at least two teams and thus failed to implement.

Nichol says there needs to be a perspective on how much Australia can bring to the table and a shift in attitudes to the way 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 are in a position to dictate, many other people want to bring them down.

“We have five teams and a business market that is 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 understand that.

“From our perspective, you don’t come up with another option until you’ve exhausted the logic that is working with Australia and the Pacific Islands to form something across the transtasman Pacific.

“If you are Australia, you ask yourself ‘what have we done wrong?’

“Why would you have a competition involving the Western Force and not New South Wales, Queensland and the Brumbies? That divides Australian rugby. New Zealand players, we don’t want to be a part of that. Not unless it’s the last. absolute resource Not our starting point.

“Our advice is to work with Australia, to help strengthen them, that’s what will benefit us all in the long run. We prefer a humble approach where we work with people and try to find solutions.”

By not working with its partners, Nichol says that NZ Rugby has not considered all options, such as World Rugby could support Pacific Islands development teams to shore up a Pasifika team and continue the revived North versus South concept. which turned out to be a huge success this year. .

“It was really good this year. The players loved it; the fans loved it and that was without crowds. Imagine if you had crowds and did three series of games to the State of Origin. And imagine in a World Cup year it did include women, and made an age grade team to do three games a weekend.

With Sanzaar’s existing contracts in place, Nichol says that NZ Rugby cannot commit to anything for 2022 and beyond.

“When you are running a bidding process for something that you can’t commit to, what is going on? That’s the first big question.

“There is nothing wrong with New Zealand doing what it believes is best. But we do not believe that the approach New Zealand has taken in saying we have to be the kingmaker is necessarily the right approach. This is a pandemic. working together.

“We fully appreciate that the five existing clubs want certainty. They all want certainty right now. But it’s also a time for everyone to be really calm and collected.

“Now is the time for the Sanzaar association to get stronger. Otherwise we run the risk of becoming isolated in the world of rugby.”