'Calls for the board to resign are a distraction': NZR rejects Players Association recommendation

That sounds reasonable OB, if we didn't have the experience of the last five years and the last 8 months in particular to illustrate something very different. Irrespective of what you or I or anyone else believes, NZRUPA has no faith in the current board. There is good reason for that. The list of the boards failures over the last five years is extremely long and damaging. It is held in contempt both nationally and internationally. What credibility does it have when faced with the fundamental reform of the game in NZ? For NZRUPA, they have none. But the deal breaker for NZRUPA is that the NZR board has now, yet again, been shown to be little more than a servant of the PU's. This is all of them, with only Reddy a genuine exception. Balsingham, there till the end of 2024, Young, there till the end of 2025, and Mather, there till the end of 2026, are all men who are the embodiment of provincial conservatism, and they are on the board. Will men like that put the PU's in their place? Will even Mackey and Palmer, who have either been behind or stood by one dismal NZR board decision over the last five years. Again, NZRUPA don't think so. And its the professional players everyone pays to see, not the politicians.

I don't know if there is an unwillingness amongst the incumbent Executive, to stand down BRB because I do think, a phasing out period of current Executive members, would be far more helpful to the new Independent Executive rather than, a complete change with a blanket issue of DCM's. Surely, there needs to be some transition between current and future Board Executives to allow this hand-over, to proceed without any intended "relentless incompetence". Perhaps, start with the top two positions, which is normally what happens in Boardrooms - replace the Chair and CEO - then gradually, progress through the remainder.

Problem is, OB, that the existing board members are not willing to stand down until their individual terms are up irrespective of what happens. Even Reddy has been trying to defend them on that basis, insisting that all board members will be up for renewal/slated for departure in two years. None, other than Reddy, have committed themselves to resign if provincial delegates are imposed on the board. Whether the board members are refusing to leave immediately because they want to be part of board that, once it is finally free of a PU veto on meaningful change in NZ rugby, makes those meaningful changes, or because they believe they will individually have a better chance of get on an independently selected board as a sitting member, is impossible to know. What is absolutely clear though is other than Reddy, as well as Mackie and Palmer, who have led the way with the principled stand of the MAB on the reforms, they are all acting in self interest or ego. Just like the majority of PU's. NZRUPA has repeated their demand for the board to stand down because it would force a decision on the reforms [one that has been avoided for 8 months in a classic example of ultra-conservative delaying tactics] and present the majority of PU turkeys with in either having to vote for Christmas or the terrifying possibility [for everyone] of them taking charge of the whole business. The days of the PU's controlling who gets on the board, controlling what that board does, then complaining when the incompetence than have imposed screws up, are over. This is the endgame. How this plays out all depends in the end whether the majority of PU's are willing to trigger an all out war with the professional players and with almost all the larger unions in order to continue to impose their incompetence. NZRUPA, having started this process, is simply doing its best to in fact have it carried through and not end up in the same dead end as all the other reforms over the last twenty or so years. We will see.

You said BRB - "Given the almost relentless incompetence of the NZR board and the Provincial unions since the game went professional, such lethal consequences are a real possibility." Your comment simplifies what IMO are the reasons, for the Review's recommendations....to be rid of that relentless incompetence. Hence, it stands to reason why an Independent Executive, has to be established. I understand the current Executive, are prepared to fall on their sword once the Review recommendations are accepted, in full, by the PUs and MAB. Problem is IMO, some voters want to continue, with that "relentless incompetence".

Sorry I strongly disagree. NZR may not be perfect and are definately far from that but they have guided NZ rugby successfully for many years. Rugby is still being run as an amature sport really and now is the opportunity for it to go to the professional level. I see ZERO value in changing the board for the 2 year transition period. All I see coming from that is massive distraction and a whole new set of members to get on board. Every person in these type of boards has an agenda when they begin their roles and there just isnt time or room for these agenda's to interupt the actual agenda thats critical to the game. I think if Nicols goes anywhere near a player strike it wont end well for him or the players. NZ people understand rugby and they understand the role a players union has but I think a strike would definately lose the public and do unrepairable damage to the game but mainly to the fans.

Sorry that is a very uneducated, biased, innaccurate comment Bliksem. If you think NZR is as bad as RA you have an issue.

No CPM it was commissioned in 2022, done over the next 12mths and released post 2023 WC. Actions are constantly being taken and we are heading for a 2 year transition period. If the people who have been there done that can maintain stability thru the transition period then that will be the best option.

Coker Im more than happy to see any professionals as board members. Yes Id love a lot of rugby knowlege on it too but I think the report was very clear in that we need business type success to run the financials rather than rugby people. The pro game has yet to develop beyond the amature level from a governance pov as yet and needs that business acumen at the forefront of NZR. Let rugby people run the rugby for sure but I see this as a major step towards finally embracing professionalism.

Spot on OB. I see the current board as the best option to take us thru the transition period. I dont mind Nicols and his beliefs but sometimes he gets a bit Unionistic. Let the review play out as planned.

Perhaps they'd like some RA Board members instead?

The politics of this are fascinating, given that RUPA [the NZ professional players union] are the only participant in this fight possessed of any competence or vision for the game, and the only one that is unified. That's been vividly demonstrated by their opposition to the extremes of the Silver Lake PE deal and their initiation of this review, a review that might actually lead to real change, much to the regret of the ultra-conservatives who run the game at the moment. Everyone else is not only incompetent as ever, they are also divided, both amongst themselves and each other. The NZR board, the majority of which were part of every brainless decision made since the 2019 World Cup, are divided between those who support the dead hand of the Provincial unions and their desire to retain control of the board and therefore the game, those who want the reforms to go through in a way that allows them to see out their term on the board, and the chair, Reddy, who is the only one to make a principled stand against threaten resignation if the reforms aren't accepted in their basic form. The provincial unions are in turn divided between those who want to accept the reforms, [primarily the SR hosts Canterbury, Auckland, Waikato, Otago and others] and I suspect would be happy to see the existing board go immediately because of all their blundering over the last 4 years, and the real dead heads in New Zealand rugby [Wellington, unions in the lower reaches of the NPC, and the Heartland unions] all of which are desperately trying to hold onto their position in the game. And this is despite the massive cost the current setup is imposing, and the gross ineficiency of it, with only 21% of Provincial spending going to the clubs/schools, the grassroots of the game. So what's next if the dead hands of the provincial unions continue to throttle the game in NZ and they refuse to accept the reforms? Reddy would resign if the Provincial unions attempt to retain control of the board succeeds, which would place an appalling amount of pressure on those left behind to resign. The provincial unions could openly split, with the SR host unions [other than Wellington, maybe] withdrawing from the NPC and running their own competition. The real nuke, a player strike, is at that point also a distinct possibility. Given the almost relentless incompetence of the NZR board and the Provincial unions since the game went professional, such lethal consequences are a real possibility. It'll be fascinating.

Wow what century are you living in Coker??? I suppose you think Dr Farah Palmer ( both Maori and female ) doesn't deserve her place on the board... Just a world cup winning captain and stalwart of both Waikato and Otago club rugby... What does she know about grass roots rugby? More than most of the blokes commenting here, for a start.

Same thing in Aus. Clowns running the game. Fans and club players get no say. It BS.

A new board structure with professional directors is recommended, with the proviso that all directors have significant rugby knowledge. Quite different to what we ended up with, by design, in Australia. There will also be an advisory body which has representatives from all key stakeholders, probably along the lines of the current governance perhaps. I have not looked at it in that much detail.

The players had a good idea on raising equity publicly, instead of from PE. They had no problem changing horses once PE offered something just for them. They should not be listened to. It seems quite appropriate that the existing board and governance continues until the new structures replace them. Everyone has to agree on the changes so it could take some time I guess, hardly the right time to have some loose group take over the running of the game. I guess the players think it will favour them financially.

Commissioned in Dec 22, just released recently I think.

So this review was done in December 2022 and in April 2024 they have not made any of the changes from the review. The players union is right. Let them step down so that others with balls (pun intended) can come in and finish the job.

The board is taking the game in the right direction. RUPA should pull its head in and let them get on with it instead of disrupting the process.

Like all trade unions, the NZRPA creates far more trouble than it ever generates in benefits. While the provincial unions are a bit hide-bound in some ways, they're absolutely right in emphasizing the need to maintain representation on the NZR board. This '9 independent directors' mantra is just shorthand for getting the board to consist of lawyers, accountants, investment bankers (like me), professional directors, together with the mandatory women and Maori appointments, none of whom know anything about, or have any involvement with, grassroots rugby.

I totally agree with NZR's position. The issue is between the voting members (PU's and MAB) and the current Executive. There seems to be some partial agreement amongst the voting members but, the final decision requires, more consensus. It doesn't need Rob Nicol and the RUPA group, making these distractive calls to sack the Executive but I sense that Nicol, is concerned because he and his Union, could be shut out totally from all future considerations and discussions.....unless it involves player salaries, conditions and long-term player health and safety programs. When this review was commissioned, I understood that all concerned were in agreement to allow the review to proceed and that whatever recommendations were released, would be wholeheartedly agreed and accepted. We all await with bated breath.....