Inside New Zealand Rugby
From the Chair and CEO
We are proud to present our Annual Report for 2022, looking back on what was a big year on and off the field.
The 2022 financial result achieved record income through new global sponsorships, uplift in broadcast and increased match activity. Our operating expenses were impacted by increased costs incurred under COVID protocols, investment in Women and Girls, Rugby World Cup 21 (played in 2022) and managing inflationary pressures. Completing the landmark Silver Lake partnership has enabled us to spend a further $37m in the game through Strategic Stakeholder Payments and close the year with strong cash reserves.
It was a busy rugby calendar in 2022, which started under COVID restrictions. The first edition of DHL Super Rugby Pacific and the inaugural Sky Super Rugby Aupiki competition were both heavily impacted by the Omicron outbreak. Although teams were in 'bubbles' with no fans in attendance for the early rounds, it was testament to the commitment of players, management, referees and operations teams to ensure both competitions persisted through these challenges. Welcoming Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua and their passionate fans to Super Rugby Pacific was a highlight, as was seeing the dawn of a new chapter in the women's game with Super Rugby Aupiki.
After our provincial competitions were heavily impacted by COVID the previous year, it was pleasing to see uninterrupted seasons for the Bunnings Warehouse NPC, Farah Palmer Cup and Heartland competitions. The pride connected to these teams is an indication of how deeply Kiwis' passion for rugby runs right throughout the country.
The Omicron outbreak also influenced the community rugby season, with participant numbers falling given the gathering restrictions in place at the time of registrations. Significant work was done on 'ways to play' at community level under these restrictions, meaning while it looked different than normal, there was a way for everyone to play the game. The growth of the U85kg National Club Cup is a great example of rugby being at the heart of our communities, and to have the final played before an All Blacks Test at FMG Stadium was an unforgettable experience for those club players.
After a year's delay, Rugby World Cup 2021 (played in 2022) captured the imagination of rugby fans around the world. It was our hope that the tournament would supercharge the women's game, and seeing the way Kiwis embraced the teams on and off the field is something that will long stay with those who witnessed it. Who can forget the emotion as the Black Ferns ran out on to a sold-out Eden Park in the opening match, or poi swirling in the crowds at Waitākere and Whangārei? The feel-good atmosphere of the family-friendly tournament translated to record breaking broadcast numbers, unprecedented interest in women's rugby, and culminated in a heart-stopping final. The journey of the Black Ferns throughout 2022 to become Rugby World Cup champions is something we are immensely proud of, and we know has inspired a wave of new fans and players across the country.
In a year that proved how competitive international rugby can be, the All Blacks faced some challenges throughout the season as every nation looks ahead to Rugby World Cup 2023 in France. The team rallied to retain the Bledisloe Cup and Rugby Championship titles, and went undefeated on the Northern Tour. Our Sevens teams had a big year, with two pinnacle events as well as competing on the world circuit. Both the All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens came away with bronze medals from the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and each went one better at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town, securing silver. Some of the Black Ferns Sevens players featured in the Black Ferns Rugby World Cup side, capping off an impressive year.
The Māori All Blacks split their two-match series with the touring Irish side, which was a great addition to the mid-year series. The creation of the All Blacks XV offered more opportunity for the next tier of players – including some of the Māori All Blacks – to be exposed to international opponents and tours, which only strengthens our player base as we look towards the Rugby World Cup.
We were excited to launch Strategy 2025 mid-year, our ambitious roadmap to reimagine rugby. We are committed to being bold to ensure the game is well-positioned for any future challenges. It also marked an opportunity to demonstrate our bicultural journey, as we presented our strategy alongside the Māori Rugby Board for the first time.
A significant strategic priority was achieved as we saw a resolution to Project Future at the Special General Meeting in June. We were thrilled to partner with Silver Lake, who have expressed a strong interest in the holistic health of rugby in New Zealand. The process was robust and ensured that all our stakeholders understood the benefits on offer to the whole game. The partnership saw the creation of the New Zealand Rugby Commercial entity, which spent the second half of the year establishing structure and processes, as well as planning out next steps for the commercial success of rugby.
Off the field, we have made great strides in ensuring rugby is a safe and welcoming environment for everyone involved in the game. Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy led the way on initiatives such as Rainbow Ready Rugby and signing the Pride Pledge, work which was acknowledged with three Rainbow Excellence Awards. An Inclusive Governance Hui brought the rugby community together to promote and enable diverse boards. We were pleased to add two women to our own Board at April's AGM, raising our overall Board diversity to 50%.
Finally, we are immensely proud of the work happening in player welfare. Much of the work underway around the world in this space has been led in New Zealand. The instrumented mouthguard study is the biggest of its kind ever undertaken in sport, involving players from community rugby through to provincial level and Black Ferns. A teenage concussion campaign focused on supporting work to develop national concussion management guidelines for New Zealand schools. Throughout the community rugby season, trials were held for a change in tackle height to below the sternum, which allowed us to confirm the change for 2023 across the entire community game. There were no serious injuries in New Zealand rugby in 2022, a figure we will aim for every year. Coupled with our ongoing mental health programmes, we are committed to providing holistic support for every person involved in the game.
Sponsor acknowledgement
NZR is grateful for the support of our commercial partners, especially adidas and SKY Television whose support is vital for the funding, promotion and strengthening of the game. We thank the New Zealand Government, Sport New Zealand, and High Performance Sport New Zealand; the many regional and local Councils who maintain grounds and infrastructure at a local level for rugby in New Zealand; the 26 Provincial Unions around the country; and our key partner ACC, as well as the media for their coverage of the game.
To rugby players and fans, your passion for the game is at the heart of everything we do. Your support at every level – from your local club through to the Teams in Black – is unmatched, and much appreciated. We look forward to cheering alongside you throughout 2023.
Dame Patsy Reddy
Chair, New Zealand Rugby
Mark Robinson
Chief Executive Officer, New Zealand Rugby
Inside New Zealand Rugby
The Rugby Way
Rugby is a game for all, regardless of our backgrounds, beliefs, or identity
We strive for excellence on and off the field, driven by a belief that rugby can improve people's lives
Rugby is more than just a game, it builds communities and fosters a lifelong love of the game
We do what we say we'll do, acting with honesty and integrity at all times
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Inside New Zealand Rugby
The Board
Our Board is charged with setting the strategy, direction and policy for NZR, and is ultimately responsible for the decisions and actions of management and staff.
For more information about the Board, visit nzrugby.co.nz/about-nzr/governance/our-board/.
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Stewart Mitchell
Chair – Nominated Board Member
NZR Board member since 2014
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Dame Farah Palmer
Deputy Chair – Nominated Board Member (Māori representative)
NZR Board member since 2016
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Ajit Balasingham
Elected Board Member
NZR Board member since 2021
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Bart Campbell
Appointed Board Member
NZR Board member since 2020
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Rowena Davenport
Nominated Board Member
NZR Board member since 2022
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Mark Hutton
Appointed Board Member
NZR Board member since 2021
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Bailey Mackey
Elected Board Member
NZR Board member since 2020
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Dame Patsy Reddy
Appointed Board Member
NZR Board member since 2022
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Wayne Young
Elected Board Member
NZR Board member since 2022
Inside New Zealand Rugby
President and Vice President
NZR has two Officers: The President and Vice President, who represent NZR and New Zealand at important functions and events, locally and globally. The President and Vice President (along with the Chief Executive Officer) attend New Zealand Rugby Board Meetings, although attend in an observer capacity and may not vote on Board matters.
These positions are elected for two-year terms. Max Spence became President in 2022, when Matthew Cooper was elected as Vice President.
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Max Spence
President
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Matthew Cooper
Vice President
Inside New Zealand Rugby
Our Patron
The New Zealand Rugby Patron fills an honorary role as the figurehead for the organisation. Throughout the 20th century the Governor General traditionally held the role of Patron. Ian Kirkpatrick has been Patron since 2020.
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Ian Kirkpatrick
Patron
Inside New Zealand Rugby
2022 Executive
Prior to 1 July 2022, NZR was made up of eight teams: Professional Rugby and Performance, Community Rugby, People, Safety and Wellbeing, Corporate Services, Communications and Brand, Commercial, Technology and All Blacks, headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), who is supported by an Executive Team (known as ‘The Exec'), Leadership Team and other management.
As of 1 July 2022, the Commercial and Technology teams moved under the New Zealand Rugby Commercial umbrella.
For more information about the Exec, visit nzrugby.co.nz/about-nzr/who-we-are/
New Zealand Rugby
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Mark Robinson
Chief Executive Officer
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Andrea Brunner
Chief People, Safety and Wellbeing Officer
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Steve Lancaster
General Manager Community Rugby
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Chris Lendrum
General Manager Professional Rugby and Performance
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Charlotte McLauchlan
Chief Communications and Brand Officer
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Jo Perez
Chief Financial Officer
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Darren Shand
All Blacks Manager
New Zealand Rugby Commercial
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Richard Thomas
Chief Executive Officer – Commercial
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Angela Nash
Chief Information and Technology Officer
Inside New Zealand Rugby
New Zealand Rugby Commercial
Project Future
On 2 June 2022 at a Special General Meeting, the Provincial Unions gave majority approval of the Project Future investment proposal, which saw US technology investment firm Silver Lake partner with NZR and the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (NZRPA) to establish a new entity ‘New Zealand Rugby Commercial LP' (NZRC).
Silver Lake agreed to invest $200m in NZRC for a minority ownership percentage, of which $7.5m was distributed to rugby clubs, $2m into Māori Rugby, and $20m into Provincial Unions. Another $60m of the total raised funds is scheduled to kick-start a new Legacy Fund focused on investing into the community game, with the balance of funds supporting NZR reserves to safeguard the future of the game.
For more information on the partnership, visit nzrugby.co.nz/silver-lake-partnership.
New Zealand Rugby Commercial
Silver Lake agreed to invest $200m in NZRC for a minority ownership percentage, with an additional co-investment later offered to New Zealand-based institutional investors. A minimum of $62.5m will be offered, and Silver Lake will underwrite the institutional syndication if it is not fully subscribed.
The NZRC Board consists of nine directors:
- An independent Chair
- Five NZR representatives, including the NZR CEO
- A New Zealand Rugby Players Association representative
- Two Silver Lake representatives
Inside New Zealand Rugby
Reimagining Rugby
To view this video above, visit youtube.com/watch?v=VR8DQcvLf7w.
2022 saw the launch of our five year plan to reimagine rugby. It's our future-focused roadmap for how rugby can evolve through to 2025 and beyond.
Our vision remains the same – to inspire and unify through rugby.
Our strategic pillars
Winning with mana
Our Teams in Black will be enabled to win with mana, bringing together on- and off-field support structures to allow for optimal performance. We aim to create an aligned, world-leading professional rugby and performance environment with effective investment in identification, development, pathways, competitions and areas of competitive advantage. This will be concurrent with work and investment that ensures our environments enhance care and connection for all people involved.
Rugby at the heart of our communities
We know that the strength of the grassroots flows throughout all levels of rugby, and we want to continue to cultivate a strong community game. We aim to leverage the success and legacy of the Rugby World Cup 2021 (played in 2022) by supercharging women and girls' participation, focusing on creating inclusive and welcoming environments. Through supporting our Provincial Unions to deliver a participant centred approach and providing upskilling opportunities for referees and coaches, we intend to future proof all parts of the rugby delivery system.
Loved game, loved brands
Our goal is to ensure our game and brands shine locally and on the global stage. Teams across New Zealand are loved passionately here at home and admired overseas, and through increased understanding of our fans and customers, we know we can create world-class sporting experiences and lifelong attachments to our teams and brands. We aim to build genuine and direct relationships with fans, understanding their preferences and desires, cementing our place in the hearts and minds of rugby fans around the world.
Unleashing rugby's commercial potential
To do all we've outlined in our strategy, we must seek increased investment and develop a sustainable operating model for the future. The opportunity to leverage our brands and create innovative partnerships will allow revenues to flow through all of rugby. We will use content, customer data and global connectivity to maximise the unique value of our brands and supercharge revenue streams.
We'll enable success through
Enhancing player welfare
It is important to us as an organisation that everyone who plays rugby is safe and well. We aim to prioritise the holistic wellbeing of our players at every turn, through increased support, resource and education from the elite level through to grassroots. We continue to review the laws and structures of the game to safeguard players, and to invest in research that helps us apply best practice as it evolves, especially as the female game continues to grow.
Thriving people, thriving game
We currently run and will continue to develop programmes which enable a world-leading sports organisation and engaging, diverse and inclusive environments across rugby. We know that thriving people at all levels help make rugby a welcoming and positive space for all. Through every touchpoint, from recruitment to internal capability, to equitable and inclusive pathways within the game and the organisation, we know we can support and enable people to be the best they can be. Working closely with the Māori Rugby Board and our newly-formed Pasifika Advisory Group will help us build our cultural responsiveness and provide great rugby experiences.
Leading through technology
We have our sights set on becoming the most technologically-enabled rugby organisation. We intend to harness technology wherever possible to chase innovation, be it providing for our elite programmes, connecting regional networks or enhancing the fan experience. There is incredible potential in the power of data and analytics which can help inform business decisions, driving both on- and off-field competitive advantage and excellence.
This year for the first time, we have produced a Statement of Service Performance in line with our financial reporting requirements, which is a formal measure of how we have performed in relation to our stated strategic priorities. A full Performance Report on the financials and progress we're making against our Service Performance measures can be found later in this Annual Report.
