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New Zealand Rugby, Super Rugby franchises and provinical unions to undergo full-scale review of rugby in NZ

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

New Zealand Rugby (NZR), New Zealand’s 26 Provincial Unions and five Super Rugby franchises have today announced the launch of a joint project to review rugby in New Zealand with a goal to set the sport up for sustained success over the next decade.

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The sport currently sits in a very dynamic environment and it is timely to review how we deliver rugby and ensure the sport has the resources to ensure it is sustainable and relevant to fans and communities right across the rugby system.

A Governance Group has been formed to provide oversight and input from across all levels of rugby with NZR Board member Stewart Mitchell appointed as Chair. The Review work will be led by NZR Chief Operating Officer Nicki Nicol with other members from across the rugby landscape in New Zealand.

NZR Chief Executive Mark Robinson said that while rugby in New Zealand had a structure that had served it well for more than 125 years, the time was right to look at how rugby can best thrive and serve New Zealand communities in a rapidly changing society.

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“We’re experiencing an unparalleled period of change as the world is now closer, our communities are larger and connecting in modern and immediate ways, and new generations are engaging differently in activities centred around sport, entertainment and leisure. Now is the time to take a look at whether we can be better prepared for what the future holds.

“Rugby is under pressure in many parts of the game, from participation, fan engagement, talent retention and increasingly tough financial environments.

“We have seen significant growth in rugby since professionalism in 1996 but not all areas of the game have thrived in that environment and there is a never-ending drive to grow revenue and manage the cost base of the game.

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“This is an important opportunity to stand back, look at the needs across all levels of rugby, from community to elite, and consider how we ensure that the legacy of this game continues well into the future. We want to ensure that rugby stays relevant and connected with fans and community, while still creating pathways and opportunities for emerging talent.”

Stewart Mitchell said: “The objective of the Review is to assess current activities are fit for purpose, meaningful and cost effective, whilst at the same time, we are also looking for opportunities that keep people involved in rugby, ensure our game is sustainable and keep it part of New Zealand’s treasured culture and identity.”

NZR has appointed a consulting partner to bring independence and expertise to support this process. Any initial outcomes and recommendations will be shared with the Rugby community by end of May.

– New Zealand Rugby

Former Chiefs coach Dave Rennie has begun his tenure as head coach of the Australian national team:

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Flankly 1 hour ago
'Absolute madness': Clive Woodward rips into Borthwick in wake of NZ loss

Borthwick is supposed to be the archetypical conservative coach, the guy that might not deliver a sparkling, high-risk attacking style, but whose teams execute the basics flawlessly. And that's OK, because it can be really hard to beat teams that are rock solid and consistent in the rugby equivalent of "blocking and tackling".


But this is why the performance against NZ is hard to defend. You can forgive a conservative, back-to-basics team for failing to score tons of tries, because teams like that make up for it with reliability in the simple things. They can defend well, apply territorial pressure, win the set piece battles, and take their scoring chances with metronomic goal kicking, maul tries and pick-and-go goal line attacks.


The reason why the English rugby administrators should be on high alert is not that the English team looked unable to score tries, but that they were repeatedly unable to close out a game by executing basic, coachable skills. Regardless of how they got to the point of being in control of their destiny, they did get to that point. All that was needed was to be world class at things that require more training than talent. But that training was apparently missing, and the finger has to point at the coach.


Borthwick has been in the job for nearly two years, a period that includes two 6N programs and an RWC campaign. So where are the solid foundations that he has been building?

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