Craig Fenton will leave the company in January 2025. Photo / NZR
New Zealand Rugby has lost one of its biggest names with commercial boss Craig Fenton abruptly announcing his imminent departure.
When he was appointed to lead New Zealand Rugby’s (NZR) commercial operations last August, Auckland-born Fenton was touted as a renowned business leader and entrepreneur.
Before joining NZR, Fenton worked overseas for 25 years. His previous post was in London where he served as Google’s managing director of strategy and operations for UK and Ireland since 2017.
Fenton started his role as New Zealand Rugby Commercial (NZRC) chief executive in January but he will leave one of the game’s most important positions after one year, sparking major questions surrounding his departure.
Multiple sources told the Herald Fenton’s departure had been brewing for at least a month after he fell out with senior people within NZR, with consultants believed to have been hired in recent weeks.
Fenton’s departure could leave NZR precariously placed with its all important broadcast deal needing to be negotiated to fund the game – and a significant reduction on the last agreement with Sky Television already expected.
Following the private equity deal with US fund manager Silver Lake, NZR established a separate commercial entity and board to drive revenue to fund the game.
As New Zealand Rugby Commercial’s first chief executive, Fenton was charged with leading this operation.
In a release confirming his departure next January, NZR said: “Craig and NZRC have agreed that Craig’s vision of change and approach to driving it are not fully aligned with the organisation. Accordingly, Craig and NZRC have mutually agreed that Craig will leave the company.”
At the time of his appointment, Fenton said: “The teams in black represent the top of our professional sport, of any team in any sport, and elite performance like this is sustained by the foundations on which it is built.
“Growing the commercial value of NZ Rugby through an engaged and expanding global fanbase is vital to supporting our current players and nourishing the grassroots that represent our future. I look forward to working with stakeholders across all levels of the game, honouring our legacy, whilst moving forward in a modern digital world, growing with mana. I am deeply honoured to join the NZ Rugby whānau.”
On Tuesday, however, following confirmation of his imminent departure, Fenton said: “It has been a privilege to play my part in helping NZRC start down this path of deepening relationships with tens of millions of fans here and overseas.
“NZRC has a strong team, and I am proud of the tangible progress that team has made over the last year. I believe in the opportunity as much as I did when I moved back home from the UK to take this role. But while we have strong shared aspirations within NZRC, we have differing views on the change needed to achieve those aspirations, and so the next phase of progress is best suited to a different leader.”
NZRC chair Ian Narev said: “NZRC has made significant progress over the past year. The NZRC team, under Craig’s leadership, has developed a strategic plan that sets clear commercial ambitions and areas of focus for the remainder of the decade. Whilst that plan, centred around fan engagement, will take some time to realise its full potential, NZRC has already achieved some important early wins.”
NZR boss Mark Robinson attempted to downplay the commercial impact Fenton’s departure could have.
“I don’t have a huge amount to add to the comments Ian and Craig have already made today,” Robinson said.
“We still have a massive belief in the overall commercial strategy for the organisation but I think both of them have referred to the belief we see this as the ideal time to consider a different direction in terms of leadership.”
The NZRC board will finalise plans for appointing Fenton’s successor in coming months following the appointment of a new independent NZR Board which is expected to be in place by the end of the year.
“We’ll take a little bit more time now with the appointment of the NZR board to be finalised in the coming months before we consider that in too much more detail,” Robinson said.