'United' SANZAR to keep south ahead
Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:38
A strong SANZAR alliance is not good news for the north. (c) Gallo
The formation of SANZAR has created a chasm between the northern and southern hemispheres - that is an advantage that should be cherished.
And only a united SANZAR (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby) will ensure the south's current dominance on the world stage will be maintained.
Those are the views of Greg Peter, SANZAR's newly-appointed CEO.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with rugby365.com, Peters was adamant that keeping the organisation united and strong remained paramount to the growth in all three countries.
Despite recent utterances of war and threats of a split in the alliance, Peters is confident he will be able to come to grips with the various issues and smooth over the rough edges.
Asked about recent threats from within South Africa about a possible split, he said it would be harmful to all three countries.
"We will be far stronger, the three countries, if we stay together," Peters told rugby365.com in a telephonic interview from Wellington in New Zealand.
He said that the broadcast contract for the next five years would - at least - take the organisation through to 2015.
However, there remained a need to resolve the underlying issues that recently caused such an outcry in South Africa (after Peter de Villiers was forced to face a SANZAR disciplinary hearing), with SA Rugby Union President Oregan Hoskins even calling it a "declaration of war" by New Zealand and Australia.
"We have a window of opportunity to work together and strengthen the alliance," Peters said of the agreement that has the three countries locked in for the next five years. "With the introduction of Argentina in 2012, it will add a further dimension to it.
"Southern hemisphere rugby needs to be strong and stay together," he stressed.
A quick glance at the most recent IRB world rankings shows that he has a valid point.
The SANZAR nations currently occupy the top three places - New Zealand on 94.29 rankings points, followed by Australia (86.04) and South Africa (85.22).
The northern hemisphere's best team, France, is a distant fourth on 82.75 points - followed by Ireland (82.03), England (81.82) and Scotland (79.81).
Argentina, who will join the expanded SANZAR alliance in 2012, come in at eighth (79.70) - ahead of Wales (78.58) and Italy (72.97), both of whom are Six Nations teams.
It is not surprising, therefore, that Peters is keen to placate the anger emanating from South Africa over various issues - including refereeing and disciplinary matters.
"One of the key incentives of SANZAR creating this new position is really to provide a level of independence and neutrality across all the issues that have been raised in recent times," Peters told rugby365.com.
"One of my first tasks would be to come to grips with those issues and listen to some of the South African concerns that have been expressed on a number of fronts."
He admitted that there would be no instant solution to all the problems, but pointed out that SA were not alone when it came to concerns about the alliance.
"That's right, there is no quick-fix," Peters said, adding: "We are starting from a new organisation, with nothing except me at the moment.
"Our first task would be to understand some of those issues and put in place an independent tournament management personnel so that we could be seen to rise above the various issues that are in each of the countries.
"It is not only South Africa that have issues," he revealed, "Australia have issues and so do New Zealand - they are all quite different dynamics we have got to work with."
The new SANZAR boss admitted that he faced many challenges, the first being to establish some personnel to run the tournaments in an "independent, professional and credible" way.
"We must also build on the work that the three countries have done over the last 15 years," he said, "the challenges are that there are strong personalities in each of the three countries."
Peters added, however: "That is one of the great things of our game and we are in competitive sport, with very competitive people who are competitive by nature - that will be a challenge."
He added that the next horizon was how to grow the commercial revenue the three countries are so dependant on in order to develop the game in their respective areas.
"When we look at the next broadcasting horizon, and through the next five years, we are looking at new revenue opportunities and new commercial opportunities.
"The next horizon after this is how can we grow this thing again and look at new territories or new competition structures post 2015."
Peters, who has been the CEO of the Hurricanes and Wellington Rugby Football Union since 2006, previously also led the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union and worked for many years for the New Zealand Rugby Union.
He brings significant experience to the role including his time at the helm of the Hurricanes in Super Rugby, and his previous work on behalf of SANZAR in the role of Tournament Director and also managing broadcast contract negotiations in 2003 and 2004, while the SANZAR secretariat was managed by the NZRU.
Peters, who will eventually be based in Sydney, will take up his new role on November 1.
By Jan de Koning
* This is the first of an extensive - and exclusive - two-part interview with SANZAR's new boss. In the second part of our chat with Peters, we look at the challenges posed in the domestic competitions as well as Super Rugby structures in both countries.
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