World Cup directors defend Pugh against NZ criticism

10.00am

Three Rugby World Cup directors are defending their chairman, Vernon Pugh, who has remained silent in the face of strong criticism from New Zealand fearful it will not host any matches in next year's World Cup.

RWC board members Jacques Laurans, of France, Rian Oberholzer, of South Africa, and England's Malcolm Phillips circulated a statement today saying criticisms of Pugh were without foundation.

Another RWC board member, New Zealand's Rob Fisher, has remained silent on the issue since it erupted in controversy last week, and his name was missing from the statement.

Pugh, who is also the IRB chairman, was identified as a main stumbling block in the New Zealand Rugby Football Union's (NZRFU) attempt to patch up differences with RWC and the Australian Rugby Union (ARU).

RWC and the ARU last week scrapped New Zealand as sub-host for the 2003 tournament after the NZRFU declined to sign the sub-host agreement because of concerns it could not meet the requirement to provide commercially clean venues.

Pugh has not responded to invitations from NZRFU chairman Murray McCaw to meet him anywhere, anytime to seek a solution to the impasse.

McCaw responded to the rebuff by saying Pugh had too much power.

"I'm not prepared to say it's an abuse of power but it does open up the question," McCaw had said.

He said Pugh had failed to draw the different parties together during the World Cup dispute.

"Like all consummate politicians, they keep their positions by being divisive," McCaw said.

McCaw's comments must have struck a raw nerve, because Laurans, Oberholzer and Phillips saw fit to jump to Pugh's defence despite the Welshman continually turning down opportunities to do that himself.

Pugh shied away from news media during a visit to Sydney this week when he met ARU boss John O'Neill and New Zealand Sports Minister Trevor Mallard.

"During recent days there have been a number of exaggerated and/or inaccurate reports and statements concerning difficulties with the conclusion of a sub-host agreement with the NZRFU and RWCL," the statement read.

"Many of these have been accompanied by criticisms of Vernon Pugh emanating from senior officials of the NZRFU. These criticisms, many of which have been personal, have suggested Mr Pugh has been acting unilaterally and without authority.

"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."

The trio said it was completely untrue to suggest Pugh had acted independently of the board and they stood by the board's decisions to date in respect to next year's tournament.

Meanwhile, Mallard is hopeful his meeting with Pugh will help resolve the dispute.

Mallard said the NZRFU -- with "goodwill" and "compromise" on both sides -- had a chance to strike a deal.

However, the ARU remained confident Mallard's meeting with Pugh would not derail its plans to exclusively host World Cup.

Spokesman Strath Gordon said Pugh had spoken to O'Neill after Mallard departed and there was "no reference to making alterations to our proposal".

"We have not been asked to make any amendments and we still plan to host the entire tournament."

The matter is not expected to be resolved until a full council meeting of the IRB in Dublin on April 12.

- NZPA