Fisher gets the cold shoulder

By WYNNE GRAY

New Zealand has suffered another World Cup hit.

Rob Fisher, one of five directors on Rugby World Cup Ltd and therefore a major player in Monday's relaunch of next year's tournament, is not on the guest list.

His absence leaves New Zealand without any representatives in the 300-strong crowd expected for the harbourside launch at the Sydney Opera House.

"Ask the Aussies who they are inviting" was the standard reply yesterday from the New Zealand Rugby Union.

Some nations have still to qualify for the 20-team tournament, and the International Rugby Board felt it was unfair just to invite representatives from those countries who had.

So the invitation list was trimmed to RWC directors, sponsors, special dignitaries - including the four winning World Cup captains - and the media.

However, Fisher, vice-chairman of the IRB and one of the five RWC directors (the others are chairman Vernon Pugh, Jacques Laurans, Malcolm Phillips and Rian Oberholzer) has not received an invitation.

"Our understanding is that Mr Fisher is no longer on the Rugby World Cup board and the IRB has approved our invitation list," an official from the host Australian Rugby Union said yesterday.

Fisher could not be contacted for comment last night.

But inquiries by the Herald in recent months and some public statements suggest there has been some ill-feeling between Fisher and the RWC.

After the NZRFU decided it could not comply with the March 8 deadline to meet the conditions as sub-host for the World Cup, chairman Murray McCaw and chief executive David Rutherford criticised the actions of the IRB and chairman Pugh.

On March 14, an RWC statement defended Pugh and his leadership.

"We wish to make it clear that these criticisms are without foundation, and were in any case totally inappropriate - especially so given the efforts which have been made, and are continuing to be made, to find a solution," part of the statement read.

It was signed by Laurans, Oberholzer and Phillips, but did not have Fisher's signature.

The Herald understands that Pugh and Fisher had a lengthy and tense discussion at a RWC conference in Newport.

After that meeting, on March 21, there was another RWC statement which "decided to set the record straight concerning a number of inaccurate reports and statements covering the failure satisfactorily to conclude the Sub-Host Union Agreement".

A day later, Fisher issued his own statement in which he disassociated himself from some of the comments in that RWC release.

"Last week," he said, "my name was not listed on the press release issued by three of the other directors because I had not seen it until the following morning New Zealand time.

"On that occasion I had no issue with the release and neither did the NZRFU, which put out its own statement noting its and my agreement to its contents.

"On this occasion, however, I believe there are some inaccuracies and omissions from the chronology of the RWCL statement that need to be clarified."

Monday's World Cup function comes after the original March launch was postponed because of the hosting standoff between the RWC, Australia and New Zealand.

The venues, dates, pools and the draw for the tournament will be announced.

The All Blacks are likely to be moved several times on Australia's eastern seaboard during round-robin matches.

The tournament is also tipped to start a week later than expected in October so it does not clash with the finals of rival sports such as rugby league.