Cup trip and expenses free for NZRFU board

By JAMES GARDINER

The entire 11-member New Zealand Rugby Union board will get free trips and expenses to attend the World Cup in Australia from the quarter-finals on.

More than five staff will attend the entire six-week tournament at the union's expense.

The costs of airfares, accommodation, internal travel and other expenses are being met from a $2.7 million budget the union has allocated for the tournament.

That includes the costs of the All Blacks players, management, coaching and support staff.

Union president Tane Norton is also having his airfares, accommodation and expenses paid for the whole tournament.

NZRFU chairman Jock Hobbs and chief executive Chris Moller will be there for the duration, but their costs will be met by tournament organisers the International Rugby Board because they are IRB members.

The union will not pay the costs of wives and partners, Mr Moller said yesterday, and board members at earlier pool matches would be paying their own way.

The All Blacks' quarter-final match, if they win Pool D as expected, will be in Melbourne on November 8.

Mr Moller said an NZRFU board meeting in Melbourne coincided with the match.

He indicated the union would probably continue to pay the board members' costs if the All Blacks progressed to the semifinals and final in Sydney.

A decision would be made in Melbourne after the quarter-final.

Mr Moller would not identify which union staff would be attending, but said that apart from himself, there would be four at all times, with some staff coming and going as required to deal with commercial, legal, media and sponsorship issues.

The union has account managers for each of its top-tier sponsors, adidas and Steinlager, and duties are shared for the other sponsors, Air New Zealand, Coca-Cola, Ford, Mastercard, Philips, Sanitarium and Telecom.

The World Cup was the union's No 1 priority for the year, Mr Moller said.

"Having five people over there - four at our cost - is relatively modest, I think."

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