D'Arcy Waldegrave: Silver Lake myths and murky narratives are helping no one

Mark Robinson and Brent Impey speak to media after NZ Rugby AGM April 29, 2021 in Wellington, New Zealand. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

OPINION:

What shade of silver are you looking at? Or are you dazzled by the gold?

The potential involvement of Silver Lake in New Zealand rugby makes it difficult to determine the light from the dark.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the New Zealand Rugby Players' Association (NZRPA) are both striving for the same outcome, a healthy game for Aotearoa. From grassroots through to the kauri tops.

Framing the stand-off simplistically is doing a disservice to both parties. The narrative that the NZRPA are greedy and are willing to sacrifice the needs of community rugby for their own back pockets is easily digestible and simple to sell. But incorrect.

NZR blindly taking the money with no thought to the long-term ramifications of climbing into bed with a faceless multinational is a myth.

There are elements of truth to both constructs, but to take sides on such monochromatic views is fraught.

I take no side in this, unless that side is wishing the best for our national game.

They both are. But the NZRPA have not done themselves any favours with their reticence to speak, nor do I think the NZRs aggressive rhetoric has helped.

Mark Robinson, Brent Impey and Nicki Nicol speak to media after NZ Rugby AGM April 29, 2021 in Wellington, New Zealand. Photo / Photosport.co.nz

A general failure on both sides to accurately represent the crux of the matter, be it through silence or a biased lens is drawing battle lines which are helpful to neither party, and more importantly the major shareholders in the game — us.

To think that the NZR have blindly pursued the gold without intensive due diligence says that NZR and the boards of the provincial unions who have unanimously supported the proposal, are incapable of making important and far reaching decisions.

That after all, is their job. If they can't be embraced as the leaders of the game, what are they doing there in the first place?

If, as I'm led to believe, NZR have not fully engaged NZRPA in this entire process, we can understand why the players wish to temporarily apply brakes and make sure their concerns are addressed. Rightly or wrongly the NZRPA find themselves in a position of immense power around the direction the game takes.

NZR should not attempt to dismiss this. If the imbalance in power is of major concern, NZR must ask themselves how this came to pass on their watch. Who actually runs this game?

These are two teams playing the same game. Through a black and white lens, the players are greedy and the union is too. But the fog of war has left the whole field shrouded
in fifty shades of grey. This shouldn't be a battle, this should be a concerted effort by both sides to get the same end result. A healthy, financially viable and relevant game from top to bottom.

Is that too much to ask?