One of the MCs of the glamorous national rugby awards was prevented from interviewing All Black coach Graham Henry and union chief executive Chris Moller on live television - because he's been too critical of the All Blacks.
High-profile radio host Willie Lose, who has been a harshcritic of the All Blacks since their World Cup disaster, described the move as "kind of Robert Mugabe-style tactics".
The Steinlager Rugby Awards were screened live from Auckland on Thursday night. Lose was due to host a segment where he would interview Henry and Moller.
Lose said he had been told by Sky that they had fielded a call from the NZRU's broadcasting and content manager, Mark Vivian.
"I am pretty relaxed about it," said Lose yesterday, "although I did think that it was kind of Robert Mugabe-style tactics.
"You would think our national rugby body would be able to bear criticism without having to resort to stuff like this.
"I don't know that I have ever heard of Mr Mark Vivian but you'd think they might have come to me to talk about [it], not gone to someone else."
Sky TV organised Melodie Robinson to interview Moller, and Mark Stafford interviewed Henry. Lose was left to interview provincial players, including some from the Heartland competition.
Vivian was the man who warned the creators of TV3's sports humour show Pulp Sport in an email that suggested a Tri Nations test was no place for bare bottoms last year.
Auckland and Blues flanker Daniel Braid was named Player of the Year at the awards, in a night where gongs for All Blacks were conspicuous by their absence. Lose is expected to move from Radio Sport to NewstalkZB shortly.
