Former All Blacks captain urges provinces to reconsider counter proposal

Former All Blacks captain Ian Kirkpatrick is urging New Zealand’s provinces to not vote for their own governance change proposal at New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) special general meeting in Wellington next Thursday.

Despite an independent review conducted by governance expert David Pilkington which stated that NZR is ‘not fit for purpose’, some provincial unions have come forward with a different recommendation known as Proposal 2 which has led to the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (NZRPA) threatening to break away from the governing body should the counter proposal be voted through next week.

The NZRPA said they would go ahead with their threat to withdraw, via New Zealand’s collective employment agreement, the right for NZR to govern rugby union in that country.

Change is needed

Kirkpatrick, who played as a back-row in 39 Tests for the All Blacks between 1967 and 1977, said although he appreciates what the provincial unions have done for the game, he feels it would be an error to not accept that change is necessary in the game.

“We are a country of five million, and everyone has got their opinion about how things should operate in a rugby-sense,” he told Stuff. “We are going to get that. But we have to be big enough to realise something has to be done to make it better.

“We need to get into the year of 2024, not 1924. We are going through change, and we have to accept changes have to be made. Otherwise we’re just going to have the same-old, same-old. We can’t do that. We have to go with changes, and do something instead of moaning and arguing about it.

“I just hope something comes out of this that will be good for the game, and we can move on.”

There has been talk of a “civil war” in the New Zealand game since the NZRPA wrote a letter to the provinces, Māori Rugby Board and the Super Rugby franchises signed by past and present All Blacks like Richie McCaw, David Kirk, Sam Cane, Sam Whitelock and Will Jordan in which they expressed their unhappiness about Proposal 2.

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Another former All Black, Sir John Kirwan, said earlier in the week that New Zealand need a fresh governance structure, as recommended by the review and Kirkpatrick, who is NZR’s patron, agrees with him.

“I know that in the past, that is the way that it has been, and it has been okay,” Kirkpatrick said. “But things, now, are not the way they used to be. The system and the way it happens once the board is formed, a lot of the positions, the nominations and the way they are appointed are a little bit in-house.

“Which means someone is picked who offers, maybe what they want. With an independent board you are not going to have that.

“If you have an independent board, you should have people with the right qualifications, and the rugby nous we really need.”

Does not want conflict

Kirkpatrick said conflict would drag the game down and that is why he hopes the provinces will vote for Proposal 1, which was consistent with the review recommendations.

“The system, over the years, has worked but as we have moved into the professional era things aren’t quite the same as they were,’’ he added.

“I just think there is time for change. That was brought out, particularly, after [NZ Rugby] dealing with [US fund manager] Silver Lake. It’s time that we do something different.

“The report [independent governance review] was quite thorough with their findings and we should go with it.”

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