Steve Tew. Photo / Brett Phibbs
The Tasman Rugby Union clammed up yesterday as it moves to convince the Marlborough sub-union to reverse its strong push to pull the plug on its merger with Nelson Bays.
Marlborough and Nelson Bays merged in 2006 to create Tasman which gained entry into the top tier Air
NZ Cup domestic rugby championship.
However, due to financial instability and Marlborough's perception it was the forgotten "step-child" of the Tasman union, a yawning gap between the two has since appeared.
Tasman chief executive Peter Barr said he had no comment to make on the situation.
"We have made enough [comments] - we now need to sit down and sort out our differences and that's what I intend doing.
"We don't want this to be a media frenzy, we need to get on and settle our differences," he added.
NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said if Tasman was to survive in the Air NZ Cup, the clubs of the two sub-unions would have to make that call.
Tew indicated the NZRU had been told by Marlborough grassroots rugby that they wanted Tasman to survive so players in the region could play at the highest domestic level.
But Marlborough chairman Peter Heagney said the sub-union believed the Air NZ Cup should be reduced from 14 to nine teams, which would more accurately reflect the population and resources.
Heagney had always believed the Tasman merger was doomed because of the absence of a sustainable financial model.
Tew slammed shut the door on the prospect of Nelson Bays going it alone in the Air NZ Cup.
"The critical mass Marlborough brings to the Tasman union is significant," he said.
"Nelson Bays we don't believe is big enough to sustain in this competition - even in a combined effort they have struggled to survive."
Tasman needed a $340,000 loan from the NZRU to compete in this year's Air NZ Cup, where it is 10th in the standings.
- NZPA
