The New Zealand Rugby Union Thursday announced record losses due partly to the costs of hosting next year’s World Cup and the impact of the global recession.
The NZRU lost 15.9 million dollars (11.3 million US) in 2009, with a shortfall in income from All Blacks Tests contributing to an operating loss of 9.6 million dollars, chief executive Steve Tew said.
Another 6.3 million dollars related to costs and foreign exchange losses associated with the 2011 Rugby World Cup, although much of this was a paper loss and would be recouped next year, he said.
“It is not a surprise, not a shock, but still a 16 million dollar loss,” Tew told reporters.
“While we are fortunate that our financial position is very strong, the game cannot continue to spend more than it earns and this result, on top of some worrying provincial union results, sends a very clear message,” he said.
Cutbacks last year included freezing union officials’ salaries and not providing any games for the New Zealand Maori team.
“We wanted to get the game largely through the pain without too much damage,” Tew said.
Income from Tests last year was 4.2 million dollars less than budgeted for.
Crowd numbers were down for several home Tests, most notably in Christchurch, where fewer than 17,000 people watched the All Blacks play Italy.
The All Blacks’ season was disappointing by their high standards. They lost one of two home Tests against France and surrendered the Tri-Nations title to South Africa.
But they finished on a high note with four Test wins on their end of year tour to Europe.
No wonder we cannot afford Hayman 😥
Hey RP, how you doing?
I took my two sons to the Blues/Stormers game a few week-ends back and one of the main reasons the crowds are staying away is the price of the afternoon or evening. To illustrate, the tickets cost $103 (2 Adults at $40 a pop and one under 15 @$15 plus online booking fees)
Throw in a few beers at $6.50 each, a few cokes at $5.50 each and three hotdogs at $5.50 each, a few coffes after the games whilst waiting for our lift and there is not much change from $200. Thats approx R1100.00.
How many average NZ families can do that each week-end? I certainly could not. I mean $5.50 for a roll, sausage and a squirt of tom sauce is a rip off!
Too much rugby is killing the sport.
Hey GBS, ek kannie inkom by die sportspool nie, ek sit my userid password in dan spring hy net terug na die loginskerm toe?
Hey Whatever 😀
Once upon a time SH players “retired” to the north once they no longer qualified for their national sides. Now days youngsters pop up there to earn a few million & then return still young enough to make national selection.
Question is how do the SH clubs compete with the NH Clubs without pricing the sport out of the reach of it’s loyal spectators ? I thnk SH teams need to look at playing more “exhibition” games in the NH. Imagine the drawcard of a ABs v Boks match on US soil ? You could fill a stadium with just our collective expats 😀
4@ Tipiiies – Ek kyk gou, dan bel ek jou!
4@ Trippies – Uitgesnorteer, en jou password is die ene wat ons nou op die foon besprek het.
My perceprion is that rugby in NZ is not as healthy as it can be. The general Kiwi don’t talk rugby anymore and are sort ruby fatiqued. The big samoan and maori kids are smashing up the european kids. Pakehea (white kids) tend to play basketball and soccer and move away from rugby by age 14/15.
Look at the spectators at S14 matches in NZ; lots of open spaces on pavilion and it is not just the cost of tickets people are rugby fatiqued and I’ve heard quite a lot of kiw’s say they hope the AB choke again nect year.
The way Graham Henry was kept in his coaching job after the 2007 flop have irriated and made quite a lot kiwi’s (that I’ve talked with) moderately blaze and even sligtly negative about NZ rugby.
Night rugby is another problem. NZ being time wise about a 12 hours ahead of rest of the rugby watching world are forced by TV to play matches at night. Gone is the saterday trip to rugby and in your lap is the late afternoon trafic rush and late night marathon on wet and dagerous road back home.
I’ve said it for quite some time and I still believe I am right namely that 2011 is probably NZ last change to win a worldcup. It is going to become increasingly for them as they are losing quite a substantial number of young rugby players to franchises in France and the UK. NZ can not compete salary wise with Ozzie, SA, Europe and the UK. Experience wise is NZ is trouble for 2011; their locks and wingers (Rococoko and Sivibatu) are past their best, they don’t have dept on 9, 15 and in the midfield and their props are not experienced enough.
I’ll do there books for them 🙂
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