Rugby: Auckland object to Harbour test deal

Andy Dalton. Photo / Greg Bowker

North Harbour were awarded a Tri-Nations test next season against the Springboks until Auckland complained they had a deal to stage internationals during the redevelopment of Eden Park.

While they insisted on their test match hosting rights, Auckland then wanted to charge their Harbour partners in the Blues franchise about $25,000 to host an early Super 14 game against the Hurricanes.

New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew confirmed the test match muckup yesterday to the Herald, saying Harbour would have got the test until Auckland objected.

"They reminded us of an agreement we had that they host one test a year for the duration of the redevelopment of Eden Park," he said. "We had to apologise to Harbour."

Auckland chief executive Andy Dalton, who also doubles as the Blues' boss, said there was no way Eden Park would allow an allocated test to be played elsewhere.

He disputed a Herald contention that Harbour later asked for the test to be shifted to their arena because they could attract a larger crowd.

"The facts are that the New Zealand Rugby Union allocates the internationals and there is a tripartite arrangement between the New Zealand Rugby Union, the Eden Park Trust Board and Auckland Rugby during construction to hold a test match at Eden Park in each of 2009 and 2010.

"So that [2010] test match has been allocated, there has been no request from North Harbour to hold it at North Harbour that I am aware of, unless it went to the Eden Park Trust Board, and I doubt that would be the case," said Dalton.

Harbour were looking for some showpiece event to celebrate their 25th anniversary and with a large expatriate South African community in their region and the Springboks playing matches at their ground in the next World Cup, they figured a Tri-Nations test there would sit well.

The NZRU agreed until Auckland reminded them of their obligations.

"It seemed sensible for the Auckland region to have a game where they could fit 30,000 people instead of maybe 25,000 at Eden Park while it was under reconstruction," Harbour chairman John Morgan said. It seemed unusual that a nearby stadium with a greater capacity would be ignored while Eden Park staged the test.

The Herald understands Eden Park's reluctance to concede hosting rights is tied to their belief it would also affect renewals from their season ticket-holders.

Morgan, who is also on the Blues board, said Harbour ideally wanted to host several Super 14 games a year. Harbour thought it was a wise strategic decision to embrace the partnership, however the Blues board decided not to hold any games away from Eden Park.

But recently, after making that ruling, they figured they might run into trouble for the early part of the Super 14 because Eden Park's capacity might be as low as 17,000. They opened negotiations with the North Harbour Stadium Trust to see if they would host an early Super 14 game against the Hurricanes.

"Harbour was asked if we would make a payment to the Blues to host the game and we didn't think it was appropriate that we should buy a Blues game and we are certainly not in the position to do that," Morgan said.

"The option given to us was 'you pay us some money and you can host the game' which we think is absolutely inappropriate that we should have to buy a game bearing in mind we are one of the key Blues stakeholders."

Morgan would not reveal the extent of the fee request other than to say it was a "significant" amount but the Herald understands the Blues wanted a match fee of about $25,000.

These issues aside, both Dalton and Morgan were united in their views about the financial stress on all the provincial unions.

The NZRU's decision to withdraw the 75 per cent salary subsidy for All Blacks from next year was putting added pressure on the provinces to fund those players. Auckland had six All Blacks, Harbour had five and the franchise was working through ideas to retain them.

"There are difficult times," Morgan said. "However the board table relationships are fine on a personal level but I think the pressures on the Blues have created tensions."