In this week's newsletter, Scotty discusses Black Ferns' bounce back from their shock defeat against Canada, the rollercoaster week for power brokers in rugby union, a potential new golden era for Kiwi athletics, and much more.
Black Ferns to the back of the plane?
The Black Ferns bounced back from their shock defeat against Canada to trounce Australia 67-19 at North Harbour Stadium on Saturday, but behind the scenes it is understood the team have had to negotiate cost-saving measures for their scheduled clash with England in September.
New Zealand Rugby confirmed earlier this month that they had locked in the match at Twickenham, which boasts a capacity of 82,000. England’s fixture against France in the 2023 Six Nations set a record attendance for a women’s test of 58,598.
It is thought this one-off match may see that mark broken, but Sidelines has been told there will be no revenue shared with NZR. This has forced the union to request the team to find savings, and it is believed that starts with a return to economy class travel. That would represent a significant step backwards for the women’s game here, the custodians of which have failed to capitalise on the exposure gained, and goodwill created, during the Rugby World Cup in 2022.
Back to the game on Saturday, it could have been an even more impressive scoreline had Renee Holmes been a little more on-target with the boot, converting just six of the eleven tries. Aside from that it was an efficient performance from the New Zealanders, who have rarely been threatened by the Wallaroos, and one based upon a growing power game, led by the impressive Kennedy Simon.
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Unions likely to get their way in governance vote
It was quite the rollercoaster week for the power brokers in rugby union and Thursday’s Special General Meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union Inc. will be a spicy meatball indeed. Sources inside the maelstrom are adamant the provincial unions will have the numbers to vote for “Proposal 2” – their own version of governance restructure that reflects the desire for provincial experience in the appointments process.
Dame Patsy Reddy, the Chair of NZR, has already threatened to resign should a vote for that proposal carry, and the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association has declared it will seek to create a new governance model for the professional game should that be the outcome. Provincial Union spokesman and Chair of Wellington Rugby, Russell Poole, has accused the NZRPA of spreading “lies” and says the provincial union bloc remains undeterred by either threat.
Whatever the outcome of the vote, rugby seems destined now to keep the lawyers busy. It is not clear how the NZRPA will be able to essentially wrest control of the professional game from the constituent unions of NZR. One body that will be busy behind the scenes is NZRC, the commercial arm of New Zealand Rugby which now has responsibility of the national union’s key assets. While it does not have voting powers on Thursday, it certainly has control of the purse. It’s board also has representation from Silver Lake, the private equity fund that now has a 7.5% stake in the business.
Crusaders finally click in classic victory
A day after three famous names were inducted to the Crusaders Hall of Fame, the struggling Crusaders finally put the right names on the team sheet, and took down the competition leaders in Christchurch.
For the record Reuben Thorne, Norm Maxwell and Leon Macdonald were the three Crusaders of yore honoured at a glittering event on Friday, joining Justin Marshall, Wayne Smith, and Todd Blackadder. It was another Blackadder, Ethan, who was the star of the show on Saturday. The backrower has been plagued by injury this season but stood tall against the Blues, making 27 tackles in a heroic defensive performance.
The Crusaders certainly needed something to cheer about after dominating the headlines for the all the wrong reasons (again) during the week. Fergus Burke’s resumption of duties at first-five clearly illustrated what the team has been missing for most of the season – a quality game manager with a tactical boot to keep his pack moving forward.
The most encouraging part of the 29-27 victory, at least from a Crusaders point of view, was their ability to dominate possession in the last ten minutes. That was as close to a quintessential Crusaders game plan as we have seen this season, but in the play-off probability stakes, it may have come a week too late.
Play-off picture still unclear, which is a good thing, isn’t it?
There has been plenty of discussion about Super Rugby’s seemingly generous playoff structure, but surely there are also some benefits considering only two of the eight finishing positions are officially locked in.
As it stands, the fourth-placed Chiefs (who made a mess of home advantage against the Hurricanes on Friday) and the fifth-placed Reds (who annihilated the hapless Force on Saturday) are the only two teams who will see no change in their finishing position regardless of final round results.
At the top of the table, the Blues (51 points), Hurricanes (51) and Brumbies (48) could all still finish in top spot. With the Blues facing the momentum-seeking Chiefs and Hurricanes hosting the much-improved Highlanders, bonus points may well be hard to come by but the win is the most important aspect. Should they both get the job done with equal points, the Blues’ superior points differential will see them home in top spot.
Despite being the only top three team to travel, the Brumbies would back themselves to bag the full five against the Force (though it may be academic by that stage given their game is the last of the round.) To finish top they’ll have to bank on one or both kiwi teams to flop, which is a long shot. Still, there will be a spring in the step in Perth if a top two spot (and semifinal home advantage) is still on the line come Saturday afternoon.
At the other end of the table, the Highlanders (6th) and the Rebels (7th) are guaranteed play-off spots but not current rankings, while the Drua are just holding out the Crusaders, Force, and Moana Pasifika. Expect the Drua (despite their shellacking in Dunedin) to be better at home and to finish above the Rebels. The chasers are most likely having an early finish.
Is this a new golden era for Kiwi athletics?
It has been an incredible week for New Zealand track and field athletes, with another national record tumbling courtesy of Wellington runner James Preston. Preston, competing at the Merck Running Gala in Germany, shattered the 800-metre record of Sir Peter Snell, which has stood for an incredible 62 years. In finishing with a time of 1:44.04, Preston ensured he also reached the Olympic Qualifying standard.
Elsewhere, George Beamish has clocked a time of 3:49.09 for the mile at the Eugene Diamond League. His time was just one one-hundredth of the a second off the New Zealand record, held by Sir John Walker.
The feats of Preston and Beamish come hot on the heels of those of Danielle Aitchison and Will Stedman at the Para Athletics World Championships in Japan. Aitchison set a world record in winning the T36 200-metres, while Stedman stormed past the world record holder, James Turner of Australia, on the way to claiming gold in the T36 400-metres.
Teammates Holly Robinson, Anna Grimaldi and Mitch Joynt also claimed minor medals at the championships, setting up the prospect of a strong showing at the Paralympic Games in Paris.
With track and field about to enjoy its quadrennial time in the sun, the black singlet looks incredibly well positioned for another famous Olympic moment.
THE WEEK AHEAD AND WHAT TO WATCH FOR
Sidelines was in at the Ed’s desk before the Warriors v Dolphins match but you can read all about that in today’s column.
We’ll have the wash-up from the Brickyard as the great Scotts, Dixon and McLaughlan chase the milk in Indianapolis.
Naturally, rugby will be in the news this week as the SGM deadline looms. By the way, what other sport would schedule its most important meeting in a decade at the same time as the Government Budget announcement?
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