Turbos boss calls for financial aid
Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:09
Manawatu Turbos boss Hayden Smith is the latest to voice his concerns over the financial positions of the smaller provincial sides in the Air New Zealand Cup competition. Smith, whose comments follow similar statements from officials from the Northland, Southland and Bay of Plenty provinces, said that the smaller provinces, such as the Turbos, are at risk of becoming bankrupt unless the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) acted to protect their financial position. "It costs us something like $2 million to fund a professional team," he told xtramsn.co.nz. "It is very hard for a provincial union to raise that sort of commercial income long-term. The biggest issue that has undermined all of our futures I suppose is this salary cap, which is set at such a ridiculously high level. "It will bankrupt us and it will bankrupt a number of others." Smith said another factor was the soaring price-tags being put on Air New Zealand Cup players by player agents, adding that it was not uncommon for some players to be earning more to play in the Air New Zealand Cup than the $75,000 paid to players in the Super 14. "We can't pay those levels. And I don't know where the agents are getting that value from," he said. "I have got pressure on me virtually every day for our players to be paid more and more. I can understand that if you have had a long-term player who has been there for 10 years and is a real asset to your team. "But when you have people that have been there one or two years to be earning more than a Super 14 player, I would have to say the formula is slightly wrong. "Was that the purpose of the Air New Zealand Cup? I don't think it was. This is a stepping stone for players to become Super 14 and All Black players. That is when they become full-time professional players. "I would say [the whole system] is slightly out of synch when Air New Zealand Cup players are being paid more than Super 14 players. "At the end of the day our union, and I would expect most of the other provincial unions, can not afford to support full-time rugby players across the board," he added. Smith warned that there would either have to be a decrease of the Air New Zealand Cup's salary cap or the NZRU would have to greatly increase its funding of the provinces - should the salary cap remain at its present $2 million limit. "I believe the formula applied is incorrect. It perhaps needs to be looked at," Smith said. "There has perhaps been such a huge emphasis on the All Blacks and on the Super 14 that the Air New Zealand Cup is almost an also-ran competition. "If the Air New Zealand Cup is important to us, or if provincial rugby is important to us, then I think there have to be more resources going that way. "The whole revenue share perspective doesn't seem to be quite right," he added.
