Global season a reason for snub

New Zealand's quest to restructure the rugby calendar has emerged as the possible reason why union bosses snubbed News Limited executives about next season's plans to withdraw All Blacks from Super 14.

With the 2011 World Cup secured, well-placed sources say New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Chris Moller has made establishing a global season his priority.

It is believed the move to keep 22 All Blacks out of the first seven rounds of next season's Super 14 is not just about giving them a chance to prepare for the World Cup.

The NZRU wants to see a shorter, more fluid season that affords players from both hemispheres a break of up to 12 weeks and is lobbying fellow IRB members to push for change.

By taking so many players out for so long next season, the union has made a statement about the importance of player welfare to strengthen its push for a global season.

Moller would not comment on whether the need to put player welfare so firmly in the public domain was the reason he didn't consult News Limited about his plans. He did, however, say: "A key concern for us is player welfare. The Professional Players Association has made some powerful submissions to us on this issue and we think it is very important for players to have a break from the game.

"We recognise we are talking about human beings here and that it is critical we are not just preparing players to win today but are looking after them long-term. I haven't had a proper look at the agenda for this month's IRB board meeting but I'm sure the issue of an integrated season will be on it."

If News had blocked the move to rest the All Blacks, as it has said it will now do, the NZRU would have lost a chance to demonstrate how far it was prepared to go to protect players.

Although Moller said he's sure he has taken a legally binding position and is not planning to budge, with News now trying to determine whether it can impose financial penalties on the NZRU, it is probable the union will back down and try to compromise.

But Moller will have made his point and the issue will stay high on the IRB agenda, particularly as the NZRU will find a strong ally in the Rugby Football Union after a recent report in England highlighted the extent of burn-out among elite players.

The IRB hired consultancy firm Deloitte and Touche in 2004 to complete a feasibility study on how the season could be altered but the conclusions were complex and the issue lost momentum.

But now, with coaches worldwide concerned at the toll so much rugby is taking on players, there is a feeling among the biggest rugby countries that it's time to push for change.

The Sanzar nations want to get a new calendar in place before they enter negotiations about selling broadcasting rights, probably some time in 2009. It is understood the NZRU's preferred outcome would see the creation of just one window to play Northern Hemisphere opposition combined with the introduction of more equitable revenue sharing agreements.

It is also thought the IRB board will discuss not only in what months the 2011 World Cup should be played but will also agree to fix the tournament in a permanent window to allow progress on restructuring the calendar.

There is an alternative theory that the NZRU simply stuffed up and either forgot to involve News or took the view that they didn't need to. But such an oversight doesn't stack up.

The NZRU was lauded for its open consultation with its own sponsors, franchises and broadcaster SkyTV. Moller hardly needs reminding that it was News Limited, the Australian-based arm of multinational conglomerate News Corporation, that signed the US$323 million cheque to buy the five year broadcast rights for Super 14 and Tri Nations.

No wonder News Limited is perplexed. News Limited corporate affairs director Greg Baxter said: "If you have a relationship with someone, wouldn't you go to that person and talk to them rather than seeking legal advice?

"We are now looking at the options available to us. We don't see why a contract we have in good faith should be dishonoured."

Baxter says legal action would be the last option and he remains hopeful an amicable agreement can be reached. He says the relationship with Sanzar has been mutually beneficial for both sides and that News wants the partnership to continue.

For that to happen, Moller will have to explain why there was no consultation. Kevin Cameron, head of sport at New Zealand's domestic broadcaster, says News Limited would have been aware of the plans before they were announced, as News executives Peter Macourt and Michael Miller sit on SkyTV's board.

Cameron says SkyTV was kept informed throughout the process and agreed because: "We have got history where the All Blacks have not played in competitions and the viewing figures have hardly changed. There is still going to be high interest and there is still going to be a third of the All Black squad in the competition."

News Limited's grievance, then, is more about the process and there is now huge pressure on Moller to validate why such a major funder of the game was left out in the cold.