The NZRU is putting on a smiley face in its mission to woo back disenchanted fans, writes Gregor Paul.
No one is immune from the culture of accessibility sweeping through the national game - not even All Black coach Graham Henry.
New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew is on a mission to reconnect the game with the people. The public image of him, his staff, the All Blacks and Super 14 coaches and players, must improve.
"We need to be more happy and smiley," says Tew. "Our guys have to understand there is more to it than 80 minutes on the paddock. They need to get back in touch with their communities and be friendly, normal accessible people."
Tew isn't in sound-bite mode. The New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive has had his Vera Lynn moment - admitted mistakes, he's made a few, and that 2010 is the year of redemption.
It is the year the national body wants to win back a fan base Tew admits has been taken for granted.
The first signs support was not unconditional appeared in 2005 when Canterbury season ticket holders were hoofed out of their seats for the British Lions. There was more disconnection with the reconditioning programme, failure at the 2007 World Cup and re-appointment of the coaches.
Bit by bit, the fabric has unravelled and, while the All Blacks continue to hold their popularity, many fans have switched off from Super and provincial rugby.
"There will probably always be periods when growth goes up and down but we made some decisions in 2005 around the Lions tour that were not popular with some of our most committed fans about where they sat," admits Tew.
"Even now when we go to Christchurch they tell us they lost their season ticket holders over that and have found it very difficult to get them back.
"Some of the things that we did, rightly or wrongly about trying to win the World Cup, meant that a long period of growth and popularity started to wane. It has not been consistent and across everything but enough to worry everybody.
"We have had a discussion with the wider rugby community to make sure we don't take for granted the support we have and we will do all that we can to win back those people we have lost."
The key plank in this fight is pricing. Domestic budgets have felt the strain of recession. A day at the football has moved from a basic Kiwi right to a luxury item. Ticket prices have been amended - more competitive packages to persuade casual supporters to become something more and to lure back disenchanted old faithfuls.
The other key strategy is improving the way key individuals are perceived. An agency was hired last year to gauge opinion on the way the NZRU conducted itself. The results didn't paint the organisation and its biggest names in the most flattering light.
"None of us like hearing that the NZRU is seen as a closed secret shop. That's not how we want to be seen," says Tew.
Like it or not, Tew, his chairman Jock Hobbs, Henry and All Black captain Richie McCaw are instrumental in shaping public opinion. These are the men who can't let their guard slip.
What they say and how they say it carries enormous significance and Henry has been given what is known in All Black circles as a work-on.
He has too much of the headmaster in him apparently and has been asked to tone it down.
His sidekick, Steve Hansen, still comes across as a copper in the interview room and he too has been ordered to present a more affable public persona.
"Graham is by profession a teacher who became a headmaster and he has those mannerisms," says Tew. "Steve was a policeman and he has those mannerisms and Smithy was an educator and he has those mannerisms.
"I think the three together are fantastically strong which is why their success ratio on the field has been phenomenal. But do they get everything right off the field? No, none of us do."
Tew knows he and his team have been complicit in building a negative perception. The refusal to consult stakeholders before removing players from the 2007 Super 14 led to accusations of the union being arrogant and cavalier.
"We may have been perceived like that," he says, "but we were anything but cavalier. It was a well thought-out, heavily discussed, researched approach. All the indicators leading up to Cardiff were positive.
"To take the players out of Super rugby was a very big call. To select two XVs, as we did on the 2005 end of year tour, was an incredibly big call. None of those things were done lightly. What we did was try to find a way to make sure we were better prepared.
"We felt that if we did the same things leading into France then we would get the same result."
That thinking was prevalent when it was decided to introduce the recent law interpretations. Super 14 was hard work for spectators last year. It lost its identity in a barrage of high kicks and endless pile-ups.
The competition has to be clear what type of rugby it is trying to produce and evidently it doesn't carry the same mass appeal without open spaces and plenty of tries. To win back the lost crowds, rugby has to clearly position its offerings.
Super 14 needs razzmatazz, bash and dash. The All Blacks need to win more tests - that is paramount. But style can't be sacrificed for substance.
"Everything will be determined by the number of people who come to our games," says Tew.
"Our broadcasters tell me the core proposition of rugby remains compelling. The game needs to find a medium - a balance. We saw some football in Johannesburg you wouldn't expect every week. I don't think anyone wants to see 100 points scored in test rugby. So there is middle ground to be found.
"Winning tests is incredibly important. We have a group of coaches who are also mindful of how it is achieved. They don't want to be playing dour rugby because it doesn't suit us.
"Graham is of the clear view that one of the advantages of New Zealand rugby for a long time has been the athleticism of our players. Playing a dynamic, fast game is more likely to result in success for us."
