New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the All Blacks are at a financial crossroads as a possible legal battle with one of their main sponsors, Ineos, continues to make the headlines.
Ineos, who co-owns Premier League giants Manchester United withdrew a multi-million-pound sports sponsorship deal with NZR and the All Blacks.
Ineos prematurely ended its six-year £22 million (R512 million) deal as an associate sponsor of the All Blacks and NZR’s other teams three years early, and has failed to pay 2025’s instalment.
Financially, the loss of this sponsorship creates a substantial hole for NZR. The Ineos deal contributed roughly £3.65 million (R85 million) per year, funding not just the All Blacks but also the Black Ferns Women’s team, their sevens teams, Māori All Blacks, All Blacks XV, and Under-20s.
NZR have indicated that they will be taking legal action against Ineos. But, if they fail to recover the full R253 million owed for the remaining three years, New Zealand rugby could be in big, big trouble. And this may filter down to the playing field.
The financial uncertainty surrounding NRZ, which includes the very real prospect of reduced television deals in the future, has inadvertently brought up the debate around the All Blacks central contract system
The question of whether overseas-based players should be eligible to don the iconic black jersey is again up for debate, as New Zealand rugby struggles to navigate rough seas on and off the playing field.
As the landscape of international rugby continues to shift, the arguments for and against this policy have gained prominence, urging a vital reassessment of the way NZR are running the game.
NRZ have resisted opening the door for their players to play for the All Blacks while earning a living overseas. Players must play in the Super Rugby Pacific competition to be eligible to wear the black jersey.
While this policy is deeply rooted in tradition, aiming to safeguard the strength of Super Rugby, it seems to be weakening their game compared to the strides SA Rugby and the Springboks have made over the last few years.
The Springboks made the decision to pick overseas-based players in 2018 and it has helped the pipeline produce even more quality players. The Boks’ overseas-based players are getting big money overseas, playing against the best opposition in Europe and Japan.
SA Rugby doesn’t pay a cent for these players’ exposure to top-level rugby. But this has also allowed young home-based players to also get exposed to a high level of rugby, playing against other Boks locally and the best that the Northern Hemisphere has to offer in the United Rugby Championship.
It’s why the Springboks have scary depth and can pick three different who can compete at the highest level. The All Blacks, on the other hand, don’t have that luxury.
Players such as star flyhalf Richie Mo’unga could have made massive difference in their Rugby Championship campaign last year, but is ineligible to play for the All Blacks after deciding to take up a big money deal in Japan.
Moreover, the potential for enhanced player development cannot be overlooked. Exposure to various playing styles, whether it’s the swift pace of Japan’s leagues or the brute force of European rugby, can refine the skills and broaden the experience of New Zealand’s players.
Ever since South Africa left Super Rugby in 2020, rookie rugby players haven’t had that experience of playing physically imposing South African teams. In essence, the SA teams had prepared All Black youngsters for the rigors of Test rugby, but now their development path takes a bit longer because they have been used to one style of rugby in Super Rugby.
All Blacks coach Scott Robertson is one person who wants that rule to be changed, as this will increase his player pool significantly. He knows it worked for the Springboks – back-to-back World Cups is evidence of that – and will work for them.
But off the field it will also work, as NZR will offload many top players off their wage bill, but also contract promising rookies who can develop freely without a bottleneck in the pipeline.
Will Super Rugby survive such a move? It may not have to as the global rugby season is going to happen sooner rather than later. Even if Super Rugby continues, the chances of it surviving in it’s current form in that little corner of the world is not great.
The All Blacks have for years been leaders in the game. But they are falling behind in rugby’s ever-changing landscape. It’s time for them to swallow their pride and emulate the Springboks for a brighter future.
