The New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association has described New Zealand Rugby’s current governance model as being in a state of “chaos” and says the game here is “impotent”, “disorganised” and operating in a “leadership vacuum”.
The strongly worded statement today was approved by NZRPA leader Rob Nichol, who confirmed to 1News he stood by everything in it.
It comes as NZ Rugby grapples with its governance in the wake of the non-binding Pilkington report recommendations released eight months ago which stated NZ Rugby’s constitution and governance was not fit for purpose and stressed the need, among other things, for a nine-person independent board.
Some among the provincial union representatives on NZ Rugby’s board have taken issue with that, however, which has created an impasse that the national organisation has attempted to bypass with a compromise of a transitional model towards a fully independent board.
This compromise was released by chairwoman Dame Patsy Reddy last week in an announcement she described as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform”. It has been reported that Dame Patsy has offered to resign if she can’t get an agreement across the line.
Nichol’s organisation has flatly refused to accept NZ Rugby’s compromise, saying “since the publication of the Review the NZR and its voting members have accepted the Review findings and the need for change.
“However, to date, they have not accepted the recommendations, and instead have put forward numerous alternative mitigated and/or compromised proposals.
“None of these proposals, to date, deliver on the Review Panel recommendations, and none of them have garnered the united support of the NZR and its voting members, let alone other key stakeholders and the public.”
The statement added: “It has been eight months since the release of the Review. The game is widely regarded as impotent/disorganised and incompetent and is essentially in a state of governance chaos.
“The very issues highlighted in the Review and that contributed to its conclusion - that NZR governance is not fit for purpose - are literally manifesting themselves in front of New Zealand’s eyes.
“There is now a leadership vacuum, and, as such, this proposal is designed to fill that vacuum and provide something the entire game can unite behind and support.”
The NZRPA say NZ Rugby’s compromise will not deliver on the Pilkington report’s recommendations and will therefore not be fit for purpose.
In going public with their opposition in such a strong way, the NZRPA clearly hope to ramp up the scrutiny on NZ Rugby.
Some of the provincial unions are said to be wary of giving up power to those independents who may not have as much real-word rugby experience, but Nichol said those fears were unfounded and it was more important to get individuals with a wider range of skills elected on to a board on their own merits.
One of the non-negotiables for Nichol and the NZRPA is that the current board stand down with the potential for reapplying if they wish.
“We have implored NZR to accept and support the Review Panel’s recommendations many times and have proposed we put in place transitional arrangements that give the voting Members the confidence they need at the outset, while also ensuring the delivery of the recommendations. We have also proposed many times that we work together to achieve these ends. To date NZR has declined to do this.
The statement added: “As a result, we feel compelled to do what we believe NZR should have done many months ago – publicly support the Review Panel’s findings and fight for them in the court of public opinion.”
NZ Rugby’s new governance model will be voted on at a special general meeting which has yet to be called. A two-thirds majority is required to pass the new model.
The NZRPA insisted on a governance review as a condition of the 7.5% sale of NZ Rugby’s equity to US investment fund manager Silver Lake.
SHARE ME