Tew: 'Tighten those belts'
Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:44
New Zealand's cash-strapped provincial unions would have to tighten their belts, rather than expect handouts from the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU). This warning comes in the wake of reports that the ill-fated 14-team Air New Zealand Cup will not see a change of format for next year, despite the financial dilemmas facing a number of the top-flight teams. Incoming NZRU chief executive Steve Tew has told provincial unions that they are overspending on players and need to stop if they want to stick around for the ANZ Cup in 2009. Poor crowds and falling television ratings have made the latest World Cup year a disaster for most provincial unions and the competition's financial sustainability is now being widely and publicly questioned. Tew, though acknowledging the provinces' concerns, said there would be no drastic revamp in coming months. "We were committed to a 14-team competition for three years: 2006, 07 and 08," Tew told The Dominion Post. "We sat down with the unions last year and revised the format on the basis of their feedback. "If a union [now] comes to us and says we don't want to be in the competition, because we can't afford to, then that would hasten some thinking. "But at the moment we are not sitting down with a mind to change the number of teams or the format for 2008." That will be welcome news to newcomers Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Tasman and Counties-Manukau, but bigger unions such as Wellington will cringe at the prospect of another year of mismatches. Further failure to bring in the crowds would damage the diminishing coffers and unions such as Southland and Bay of Plenty have warned they are on the brink of financial collapse. Tew did not exactly extend a helping hand, suggesting some unions may have got into trouble trying to reach the NZ$2-million (US$1.5-million) salary cap. "The salary cap should not drive the player budget for a provincial union. It should be driven by what they can afford to spend on players for the professional competition or anything else they have a responsibility for just as it is for us [the NZRU]," Tew told The Dominion Post. "It is a catch-22 for us too. I'm sure our sponsors would have liked us to keep Carl Hayman and Luke McAlister, but we can't afford to so they are not staying." Tew clearly agreed with recent comments from Wellington coach Aussie McLean that many domestic players were being overpaid. "We can't afford to keep paying all these players," Tew said when asked if provincial player payments were sustainable. "You have to go back to the time we invited unions to participate in this competition. It was pretty well known what it was likely to cost. They had to prove to us they could raise that money. If they cannot then clearly there's going to be some questions." For now though, the questions are being levelled at the NZRU on whether the public will buy into next year's Air New Zealand Cup. "It would be foolish to say it's all rosy, wouldn't it, but there are some very good outcomes from this new competition," Tew said. "Obviously Hawke's Bay are the shining light. Not only did their team perform, but the community has got in behind them and really enjoyed being back in the top echelon. And there are encouraging signs in Tasman and Manawatu." Tew agreed there had probably been an element of "fan fatigue" this season after a hectic schedule at all levels in the past three years. "That's certainly a challenge for us."
