AusLeisure

With rugby union in New Zealand facing a series of challenges, a soon-to-be-published book featuring the thoughts of the late Sir John Graham, the forthright former All Black rugby captain, says that Super Rugby should be scrapped and the All Blacks should be “returned to the New Zealand public”.

The book, The DJ Years, features the thoughts of Sir John, who died four years ago this month.

Shared with three-time New Zealand journalist of the year award winner Kip Brook, the former All Black’s thoughts were written down by Brook and signed off by Sir John at the end of each chapter.

While what Brook calls the “COVID-stumblings” between the New Zealand and Australian rugby unions are playing out, Sir John is quoted in this extract from the book.

“With rugby union in New Zealand facing a series challenges and unless clubs and provinces are strong and are seen as the core business of the NZ Rugby Union the game as it has been since the 19th century - our game for all shapes and sizes - will cease to be just that.

“It is obviously already on a changing track.  It is becoming a game for the elite player. Top schoolboys are identified, placed in academies and inducted into the details of the professional game – weight-training, diet, aerobic fitness, contracts, agents and other such delights. 

“Have we heard fun or enjoyment mentioned recently? These programmes often conflict with and take precedence over, club training and club coaches. 

“The ideal, in a perfect world, is to scrap Super Rugby and establish a strong competitive provincial competition which is professional and provides the pathway to the All Blacks – with entry only through club participation. 

“Interestingly, the South Africans will not condone any changes to their Currie Cup competition, their equivalent of our old NPC competition or inter-provincial competition. 

“Winning sides, say the two top provincial sides, could play against the Currie Cup top two from South Africa and Australia if they can develop a similar local competition, or even top American or European club sides. 

“Even more importantly there could be a place here for Pacific and Asian teams. The key is to develop an internal New Zealand provincial competition that New Zealand supporters can identify with and in which all elite players can take part. 

“Clearly the Bledisloe Cup internationals should continue along with internal international tours by major countries and reciprocal tours overseas by the All Blacks.

“We would not play the Springboks every year, nor tour Europe every year. This is not a nostalgic yearning for old days. 

“It removes meaningless competitions, which rugby supporters are finding less and less appealing; it places club rugby in its rightful place as the pathway to provincial rugby and should lead to a country-wide play-off to find the top club team each year.

“It reduces the number of matches our top players must play and it ensures provincial rugby is restored to its rightful place at the heart of our rugby programme; and a far more meaningful international programme could be developed. 

“Importantly too it would return our All Blacks to the New Zealand public. They would be seen in their provinces and might even find out where their club rooms are located. Chances of this happening? 

“Not great, I would think, but it’s nice to dream about such a rugby world. The rugby public tend to agree though, judging by the empty seats in the stands, the hollow domestic competition, the financial failures and the loss of support nationwide. Significant and far-reaching changes are needed.”

Sir John (9th January 1935 to 2nd August 2017), was headmaster of Auckland Grammar School for 20 years, New Zealand cricket team manager, University of Auckland Chancellor, business director and mentor.

For more information on the soon-to-be-published The DJ Years contact Kip Brook at Make Lemonade, E: kip@makelemonade.nz, www.makelemonade.nz

Images: The All Blacks at Eden Park (credit: Eden Park) and Sir John Graham (below, credit: Kip Brook).

Related Articles

24th August 2021 - SANZAAR to host Rugby Championships series in Queensland

20th August 2021 - Coronavirus fears sees All Blacks pull of out of third Bledisloe Cup Test in Perth

20th August 2021 - New book explores the ‘Code Wars’ in Australia’s football market

3rd August 2021 - Changed Bledisloe Cup schedule will see Eden Park host two tests

22nd July 2021 - Australia and New Zealand withdraw from 2021 Rugby League World Cup over COVID concerns

15th July 2021 - Hamilton set to welcome weekend All Blacks fixture and sell-out concert

15th June 2021 - Environment groups object to New Zealand Rugby’s oil company sponsorship deal

1st June 2021 - New Zealand Rugby appoints new Chair and Deputy

25th May 2021 - Majority of players and public want the All Blacks to be New Zealand-owned

12th May 2021 - New dates announced for Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand

29th April 2021 - New Zealand Rugby approves investment by US private equity firm Silver Lake

20th April 2021 - Super Rugby’s Highlanders to investigate fan injuries at Forsyth Barr Stadium

16th April 2021 - Super Rugby announces granting of conditional licences for Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua

16th November 2020 - Auckland’s All Blacks Experience to open on 2nd December

13th November 2020 - Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby announce domestic and trans-Tasman tournaments for 2021

3rd November 2020 - Super Rugby’s Chiefs announce new ticketing partnership

2nd October 2020 - Super Rugby Aotearoa competition to return in 2021

30th September 2020 - South African teams to exit Super Rugby to play in Europe

12th September 2020 - New Zealand to host two Bledisloe Cup Tests ahead of Australian-based Rugby Championship

14th June 2020 - Fans return to Super Rugby in New Zealand

2nd June 2020 - New Zealand Rugby announces details of new domestic competition

11th May 2020 - Coronavirus and financial losses push New Zealand Rugby to lay off half its staff

4th February 2020 - AIG to end All Blacks sponsorship deal

11th July 2019 - New Zealand Rugby selection process needs to include moral as well as social values

6th September 2018 - ExerciseNZ’s Richard Beddie slams All Blacks move for more Government backing

11th September 2017 - Review finds that New Zealand rugby must change attitudes towards women

3rd November 2015 - Rugby World Cup underlines All Blacks supremacy

10th December 2014 - Study suggests All Blacks likely to keep on winning

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.