High Court judge tipped to head probe into Cup fiasco

By WYNNE GRAY

A High Court judge is expected to head an inquiry into New Zealand's loss of co-host status for next year's Rugby World Cup.

The judge will be asked to provide a comprehensive report on New Zealand's campaign defeat within a month.

The New Zealand Rugby Football Union decided yesterday to order an independent review of the campaign, starting with the 1997 bid to host the tournament until the International Rugby Board removed it this month as sub-host.

Chairman Murray McCaw left the board's Anzac Day meeting in Wellington to announce that someone such as a High Court judge would be asked to head the inquiry after consultation with an NZRFU committee.

That group, led by deputy chairman John Spicer with board members Chris Liddell, Craig Norgate and Paul Quinn, would draw up the terms of reference after consulting the provincial unions.

On Wednesday, the Herald revealed that the provincial unions wanted an independent inquiry rather than allowing the NZRFU to review itself.

Mr McCaw said the NZRFU accepted it was accountable for the loss of the rights to co-host the fifth World Cup but believed it "carried out every reasonable action to ensure the sub-hosting was held".

But on such a big issue and with the intense public inspection, an independent review was the only way for the truth to come out.

The NZRFU did not feel under pressure nor was the inquiry a method of soul-cleansing.

Only matters of commercial sensitivity would be held out of a public disclosure of the findings.

Australia and New Zealand were awarded the hosting rights in 1998 but their partnership deteriorated last year as arguments with Rugby World Cup Ltd intensified.

The NZRFU finally was given a March 8 deadline to comply with hosting conditions and sign the agreement.

It refused and Australia was asked to submit a proposal as sole host. A decision was set for the international board council on April 18.

The rugby union and the Government lobbied strenuously for the return of New Zealand's hosting rights but the board voted overwhelmingly for Australia to hold all 48 games in October and November next year.