All Blacks legend Wayne Buck Shelford believes New Zealand Rugby owes it to its constituency to consider options beyond the Silver Lake deal and calls on them to take an open mind when they sit down with the players association to talk through their differences.
Shelford also told Stuff in an interview discussing the very public standoff between the national union and its players association over the proposed $387.5 million 12.5 per cent selloff to the US private equity giant that he has major doubts whether that money would filter down to the grassroots levels of the game to make any discernible difference.
Shelford, who is president of the North Shore club that plays in the North Harbour union, said he attended a number of meetings around the proposed selloff to Silver Lake and remained unconvinced it was the right avenue for NZ Rugby to head down.
This week’s Extra Time podcast features an interview with Rugby Players Association president David Kirk and looks at sideline violence and abuse, and a surprise in women’s rugby.
The players chief objections centre on the decision to sell off 12.5 per cent of NZ Rugbys commercial revenue in perpetuity. They believe there are compelling alternatives that would inject the needed capital without giving up such a big chunk of revenue for the rest of time. NZ Rugby have called for a further meeting on Friday, though have made it clear they remain less than convinced by other models being touted.
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Shelford, who captained the All Blacks in 14 of his 22 tests between 1985-90, told Stuff he sympathises with what the players are attempting to do in promoting a public discussion that pits an alternative funding model up against the Silver Lake one.
I went to a meeting when NZ Rugby were talking to the unions one guy from Silver Lake got up and presented a few things, and they actually didnt answer a lot of the questions. Straight away that put me off. It sounded like they didnt have the answers, and made you wonder, were they hiding something?
Theyve gone to Silver Lake simply because one company from outside of New Zealand has said this is the best we can get you.
I also went on a call with the NZRPA to NZ Rugby, and what the players association were wondering was if they were searching for somebody, why didnt they bring more than one party to the people then we, as the rugby public of New Zealand, could have a look at them all and get a better idea of where we sit. That never happened.
Now were getting this big backlash because the players association have found somebody thats willing to underwrite [an alternative funding model] and basically [NZ Rugby] say its pie in the sky.
Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford led the All Blacks in 14 of his 22 tests played between 1985 and 1990.
Shelford said he was on the call when NZRPA initially attempted to present alternative financial avenues to NZ Rugby, and felt they were given short shrift.
Man, NZ Rugby treated them like little schoolboys, thats wrong, thats wrong, thats wrong. The players association, from what Ive seen, are just trying to say, we need to sit down and talk about this. Theyre the ones jumping up and down saying no, no, no, theres nothing else we can do.
Shelford’s personal view was selling off 12.5 percent of revenue in perpetuity was a lot to give up, even for $387m. He did not have concerns, though, over potential issues surrounding Maori heritage or IP being compromised. Maori will never allow that to happen,” he said.
And though the provincial unions were set to reap the dividends from the sale, he did not think it would make much difference at club level.
That wont be a big piece of pie, he said. There might be anything between $5,000-$10,000. Thats enough to buy two or three sets of jerseys. That doesnt go a long way when the running budget at my club is $200,000 a year.
The provinces will get a big cash injection to balance their books. But will they be able to keep their books as balanced over the next 10 years?
The All Blacks great said he had major doubts over the semi-professional payment model being adopted at the provincial level, but that was an argument for another day.
In terms of the next step in this standoff, Shelford felt it was simple.
The Players Association and NZ Rugby need to get together and actually talk it out. Is giving away 12.5 per cent of our revenue forever the right answer? If not, what are the alternatives?
Do they know more people around the world than we do? No doubt yes, but we as New Zealanders have a lot of young intellectual, very vibrant young men and women out there doing wonderful things all round the world. They are contacts we need to touch base with.
Shelford said he saw merit in the 5 per cent IPO proposal the players have had drawn up by Forsyth Barr.
I would back the players association and go down this line because the shares are still owned in New Zealand by New Zealanders, and from there if you need more money in the future, you could look at it again.
Shelford says the game clearly has its battles. Provinces are struggling. Clubs too. There is player growth among women, but that is being offset by a concerning dropoff among teenage boys.
There is a lot to fix. And hes not sure bringing in a private equity giant with eyes only for the All Blacks is the right way to go about it.
