New Zealand rugby players’ union threatens split with governing body over competing reform proposals
- The game’s stakeholders will vote on a new leadership structure at a Special General Meeting of NZR on May 30
- Players’ union says it will set up a new governing body for the game if proposed reforms are blocked by the provincial unions
New Zealand’s players’ union has threatened to split with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and set up a new governing body for the professional game if proposed reforms are scuppered by the country’s provincial unions later this month.
The game’s stakeholders will vote on a new leadership structure at a Special General Meeting of NZR on May 30 but two competing proposals have been tabled.
The first, proposed by NZR chairwoman Patsy Reddy, calls for all members of the board to be independent, as advised by a governance review that reported last year.
The 26 provincial unions have drawn up another plan – Proposal 2 – which demands that at least three of the nine members have two years’ experience on one of their boards.
In a letter to stakeholders that was leaked to all main media outlets in New Zealand on Tuesday, the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) said they would not accept Proposal 2 or the existing structure.
“Should Proposal 2 be adopted, or the status quo prevail, the professional players will no longer pass to NZR, via a collective employment agreement, the right to govern the professional game,” it read.
