New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has described as “offensive and incorrect” claims by former All Blacks captain Andy Haden that the Canterbury Crusaders’ Super 14 rugby team has a racist recruitment policy.
Haden’s position as an official ambassador for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand is under review after his claim on a television sports show Wednesday that the Crusaders – seven-time Super rugby champions – employ only three non-white players at any time.
New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew, who is a former Crusaders chief executive, and the franchise’s current chief executive Hamish Riach have responded angrily to Haden’s comments, describing them as insulting and untrue.
Key said Friday that New Zealand’s minister of sport Murray McCully, who had appointed Haden one of six official Rugby World Cup ambassadors, would be meeting the former All Black over the weekend.
“I’m sure they will be having a discussion and we will see where that leads,” Key said. “My view on that is that the comments are not only factually incorrect, they are also offensive.”
Haden showed no signs Friday of withdrawing his allegation, repeating his claim in a lengthy radio interview.
In his original comments Wednesday, Haden said Canterbury’s racial recruitment policy was “enshrined” in the franchise’s manual.
“Once they’ve recruited three, that’s it. That’s their ceiling. It’s enshrined in their articles, and they’ve stuck by that. And they know that that’s the case. And it’s worked.”
Haden backed away slightly from that claim Friday, admitting the alleged limit on nonwhite players was not “set in stone.”
And he said he was referring to players of Pacific Island origin, rather than Maori squad members.
“That’s wrong, but the principle remains and this is an issue for New Zealand rugby,” Haden told Radio New Zealand.
Haden said the policy was most obvious in the recruitment of players for the franchise’s academy at which young players were groomed for eventual Super 14 selection.
“A past All Black friend of mine was rung by a Canterbury coach and asked about a player and at the time he said to him ‘we can only have two or three (players of Pacific Island extraction) in our franchise and we want to integrate them slowly’,” Haden said.
Haden played 117 games, including 41 tests, for the All Blacks and was described by the sports minister recently as one of New Zealand’s greatest players. Haden owns and runs a successful celebrity management company whose clients include supermodel and actress Rachel Hunter.
Pete
Guest
Anyone smell a conspiracy? The Crusaders are looking to set up recuitment camps in Sth Africa... and the following week... they are labelled the one thing (racists) that is likely to stop anyone from there signing with them... perhaps I'm drawing a long bow... perhaps Haden just is a sh*t stirrer
owen pryor
Guest
Andy is 100% correct. the culture of rugby is in the wrong direction. I'm 63, played only to 12nd level because of injury, managed rugby teams,papkura club, owned for ten years plus as a seasons ticket holder at Edan Park and Pukehoe statam and followed the ab to aus. have you any idea how i can send my protest to Richard Spure and the union management. There is no way i can send this email of support to the AB's. They are above the people that work for the love of the game. The industry and Money now rules. You can do something with your world cup tickets at $300 a game.
Jerry
Guest
Presumably the description of Rachel Hunter as "supermodel and actress" comes from Haden's firm. I think anyone who'd describe Hunter as an actress would automatically be put on notice as being somewhat less than credible.
Tutu
Guest
How much credit can be given to the Government when they like Tew refused to acknowledge the racially based selections of the past. Hypocritical at it's best