11.00am
If International Rugby Board chairman Vernon Pugh sees Sports Minister Trevor Mallard headed his way, he shouldn't turn his back.
Angry after New Zealand lost its co-host role for next year's Rugby World Cup, a "gutted" Mr Mallard was asked what remedies the Government could now take. He suggested he would like to perform a sensitive operation on Mr Pugh and Australian Rugby Union boss John O'Neill, using a sponsor's product.
"They (remedies) do involve Heinekens in particularly uncomfortable places," he told Radio Sport.
Dutch brewer Heineken is a major sponsor of the 2003 event, which will now be hosted entirely in Australia.
Prime Minister Helen Clark laughed off her minister's outburst.
"Trevor is a red-blooded passionate rugby supporter and he is really expressing the disappointment of every rugby-supporting person in the country," she told NZPA.
Asked if the "uncomfortable places" threat was out of line, she said: "I'm not getting into that".
Miss Clark said the decision was very disappointing for New Zealand rugby lovers.
"I guess the best comeback is to win it."
While New Zealand and Australia worked very hard to maintain a "very good" relationship, that could be affected by matters outside the control of the Government.
"We just have to put the best interests of the two countries forward," she said.
The Government could not have done more to secure the Cup, she said.
Mr Mallard last month flew to Sydney to meet Mr Pugh, in a bid to retain a share of the Cup for New Zealand.
He told National Radio that assurances Mr Pugh had made him in Sydney, and to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, had not been delivered on.
He blamed "mainly Vernon Pugh" for New Zealand being cut out of the Cup.
"He is a person who I think has not been absolutely straightforward, and the Australians have clearly taken advantage of that.
"He certainly gave me an assurance we were in the hunt, that there was a process and more than that, he would guard that process.
"He would make sure the dealings from then on were fair and he would take a neutral chair role. Now that has clearly not been the case."
He criticised the IRB as being focused on money to the detriment of the game, comparing it with the International Olympic Committee under Juan Antonio Samaranch.
If New Zealand could be blamed for anything it was "mainly for naivety".
"In New Zealand and especially in rugby board circles people take people at their word," he said.
"That should not be done in future when it comes to this sort of commercial dealing.
"In trusting Mr Pugh's assurances, assurances which were by the way repeated to me, with regard the degree of cleanliness of the stadiums, the NZRFU made a mistake."
The long-term future of rugby would require countries such as New Zealand and South Africa to be able to host it, he said.
"If money is the only factor, then rugby won't have a long-term future as an international sport.
"The IRB has considered money is more important than the future of the game, and I think as a result of that they have caused damaged.
As a passionate New Zealand rugby follower, Mr Mallard said he did not think "I'd ever drink a Heineken given this".
While New Zealand had lost hundreds of million in economic benefits more important was the blow to rugby, he said.
"It is an icon sport in New Zealand and we've been knocked around in an area that is important."
Government's role in the salvage bid "would be discussed" but wanted to talk to cabinet colleagues first.
Miss Clark said New Zealand should accept the bid had been lost, and get on with winning the Cup.
Mr Mallard was sure the All Blacks could win the Cup.
"Let's start of by making sure the women really beat the Australians well in the women's World Cup in a couple of a weeks time," he said.
National leader Bill English said Mr Mallard's comments were disgraceful.
"It makes you wonder whether Mr Mallard hasn't been part of the problem rather than part of the solution," he told NZPA.
"This is a senior government minister...abusing international sports administrators in a way that totally lacks any dignity."
Everyone was disappointed about the decision and there would be much discussion about what led to it, Mr English said. However, Mr Mallard's attitude to those whose support New Zealand needed showed his involvement may have hindered rather than helped.
He urged the minister to keep quiet and try to rebuild his credibility.
"Getting international events here is a big part of developing our sport and he has, I think, severely damaged his credibility at being able to help New Zealand get international sporting events," Mr English said.
"Who's going to deal with him if they think if he doesn't get what he wants he's going to start talking about damaging their anatomy?"
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters did not find Mr Mallard's Heineken comment amusing.
"I suspect that, sadly, it's those sorts of comments and attitudes that may in part have led to us losing the World Cup tournament," he said.
"This jingoism is all fine and well, but it's not helping on this occasion at all."
Mr Peters described the IRB's decisision as "extraordinarily disappointing" for New Zealand.
"New Zealanders fully believed we'd be showcasing the sport and our country. We've clearly failed and I think New Zealanders are entitled to know why it has taken so long for us to find this out," he said.
ACT commerce spokesman Stephen Franks, a rugby fan, told NZPA Mr Mallard had resorted to unwise "crude populism".
"He's assuming there will be a payoff for a wave of nationalistic resentment, and he's playing to that."
New Zealand had mishandled the whole Cup affair and earned a result that caused ordinary rugby fans to suffer.
It was the last in a series of defeats for New Zealand in its trans-Tasman affairs he said.
He cited joint new social security arrangements that clearly favoured Australia, defence arrangements and Qantas managing "to stuff" Air New Zealand.
"We shafted ourselves -- that doesn't excuse the bloody-mindedness of the Aussies -- but when you shaft yourself, as a cabinet minister you don't then turn around and threaten to physically shaft the other side."
- NZPA
The IRB statement
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