World Cup inquiry report ready

By WYNNE GRAY

The biggest rugby game in Wellington may not be the Tri-Nations test this week.

It will be hunting out any information from the independent report into New Zealand's loss of their status as sub-host for next year's World Cup.

After that blow was confirmed by the International Rugby Board, the New Zealand Rugby Union announced on Anzac Day there would be an inquiry into the whole episode.

There have been many theories and stories since about the inquiry, but nothing official until yesterday's announcement that former Chief Justice Sir Thomas Eichelbaum's report had been completed.

The NZRFU also revealed that its board had seen the document and would discuss its contents further at a scheduled board meeting in Wellington on Friday.

It intended to publicly reveal contents of the report within a fortnight.

The Herald understands the report was delivered before the Bledisloe Cup test and a meeting of the NZRFU board was convened, and briefed about the document, at their Christchurch hotel on Sunday.

Wideranging terms of reference for the inquiry were settled on by Sir Thomas after consultation with the head of the steering committee John Spicer and members Chris Liddell, Craig Norgate and Paul Quinn.

During his investigation, Sir Thomas received written submissions from the Australian Rugby Union and similar correspondence from the IRB. He also interviewed IRB chairman Vernon Pugh.

New Zealand's main World Cup negotiators were chief executive David Rutherford and chairman Murray McCaw, while board member Rob Fisher was on the Rugby World Cup Ltd committee until he resigned and represented New Zealand with Tim Gresson at the fateful IRB meeting in Dublin in April.

NZRFU board members can extend a vote of no confidence in their chairman at any time. Delegates can only be removed from the board if they resign or they are voted off at a special annual meeting called by the provinces.

Rutherford's contract is negotiated with the board and that was rolled over late last year for another term.