Breakaway threat by players union looms as New Zealand Rugby votes on competing proposals about leadership … – South China Morning Post

NZR and the professional players union are backing a proposal of far-reaching changes, primarily that the nine-strong board all be independently elected.

That was a key point among the recommendations set out in a stinging independent review of the games governance last year.

However, the influential 26 provincial unions from New Zealand rugbys amateur heartlands have tabled their own proposal.

They agree some change is needed at the top, but want to keep their current powers to decide three places on the nine-strong board.

Ahead of the vote, the New Zealand Rugby Players Association upped the stakes by threatening to break away from New Zealand Rugby and instead form their own rebel body to govern professional rugby if the provincial unions get their way.

If neither proposal reaches the two-thirds threshold needed from the 90 votes, there will be stalemate and ongoing rancour.

All Blacks great John Kirwan, part of the side that won the 1987 World Cup, worries that the infighting at the top could drive fans away.

The saddest thing for me is people do not give an (expletive) any more because theyre just sick of it, he told radio station Newstalk ZB.

If you just stop caring, thats when our game is in real danger, he added.

However, Canterbury Rugby Union chairman Pete Winchester warned that the 11th-hour breakaway threat from the professional players is only likely to harden attitudes in the provinces.

We look after 150,000 amateur players, (spread) around 26 provincial unions in the country, Winchester told Newstalk ZB.

Its a complex business. We are just saying it would be good to have three people with experience of working in provincial rugby.

Richie McCaw, who captained the All Blacks to back-to-back Rugby World Cup triumphs, called on all stakeholders to look beyond themselves.

I would urge people that make the decision to not just think about their own patches, but to step above that and think what is right for New Zealand rugby in the long term, McCaw told The New Zealand Herald.

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Breakaway threat by players union looms as New Zealand Rugby votes on competing proposals about leadership ... - South China Morning Post