First the business then the pleasure

Former Lions winger Sir Anthony O'Reilly will still be backing his side. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

No matter how focused on business he is, at least one of the reasons Sir Anthony O'Reilly is here in New Zealand this week is the Lions Tour.

Sure, he is accompanied by the group of high-flyers who make up the International Advisory Board of Independent News and Media. Certainly it is time the group held its international conference in New Zealand (it's usually in South Africa or Ireland - both rugby-mad countries).

Obviously Sir Anthony has considerable business interests in this country, including this newspaper. But the boyish reason, the one that makes the former 1959 winger rub his hands in anticipation, is the Lions and their upcoming tests against the All Blacks.

Back in 1959, when the Lions arrived here on a propeller-driven plane, the red-headed, long-legged Sir Anthony, dubbed the "rooikop" by the South Africans, scored 16 tries, and broke many more hearts.

What the local girls didn't know was that he had already met his first wife-to-be, Susan, in Sydney on the way over.

The team stayed five months and lost the series 1-3. It was, says Sir Anthony, "my swansong - and the most joyful six months of my life".

Nearly 50 years later, Sir Anthony is back. He is 69 now, dressed casual in a pink shirt with a soft pink jersey slung across his shoulders, but there is nothing casual about his agenda.

This is a work day and Sir Anthony, former chief executive of Heinz and still the company's largest private shareholder, is focused on business.

Much of the afternoon has been spent in his Stamford Plaza suite on a conference call. Over the next few days 17 members of his International Advisory Board will arrive. The group, is headed by Ben Bradlee, editor of the Washington Post during the Watergate era, who Sir Anthony says "must be the high priest of every journalist in the world - the man who slew the ultimate dragon in the form of Richard Nixon".

Board members include: Sir Sean Connery of James Bond fame; Kenneth Clarke, former Chancellor of the Exchequer and contender for the leadership of the Conservatives; Margaret Jay, former leader of the English House of Lords; Jakes Gerwel, former secretary to the Government of Nelson Mandela.

Next week this diverse group of people will look at the tides of world growth, talk business and world opportunities, in particular the internet, copyright law and more.

This kind of audacious thinking has served Sir Anthony well over the past 44 years. A law graduate with an astute marketing mind, he worked alongside the Irish Government, became chief executive for Heinz and in 1973 started his own media business. Today the tentacles of his empire stretch from Ireland to New Zealand and Australia, London, South Africa and now India.

Right now Sir Anthony's biggest excitement is his company's push into India with a 27 per cent share of the Danik Jagran (Daily Awakening) newspaper. The paper has a circulation of 2.5 million, a readership of 20 million and India's economy is growing at 8 per cent.

This, he says, is important for New Zealand too. While economists are predicting a slowdown for the New Zealand economy, Sir Anthony is convinced that as long as China, Asia and India continue to grow, the growth of New Zealand is assured.

"If you told me China was going down I'd be pessimistic."

His other message for New Zealand is to look at the Irish model, especially concerning tax, which in Ireland is set at 12.5 per cent.

So what does Sir Anthony think will happen in Wellington tonight?

"My prediction is, tomorrow will surprise New Zealand."

Why?

"Because the Lions played so far below themselves last week. They've got nothing to lose, new young blood, sparkling runners in Shane Williams and Gavin Henson.

"They've got an outstanding fullback, playing in the right place, in Josh Lewsey. They've got a really exciting young scrum half in Dwayne Peel and the best kicker in the world in Jonny Wilkinson."

"They're hugely, hugely the underdogs and being that, on some occasions, is hugely, hugely an advantage."

On the other hand, New Zealand is an "over-talented" side.

"Any side that leaves Dougie Howlett and Joe Rokocoko on the bench, or out altogether ... It's not unreasonable to assume the biggest enemy tomorrow will be complacency."