The Māori Rugby Board has joined the public stoush over governance of the game on the eve of a crucial vote and it is backing New Zealand Rugby’s plan.
At a special meeting tomorrow, provincial unions and the Māori Rugby Board will vote on whether to approve a new process for an independently selected board, a plan supported by New Zealand Rugby and the Players Association (proposal 1), or go with a second proposal (proposal 2), which guarantees provincial union representation on the board.
In a statement, the Māori board, chaired by Dame Farah Palmer, said it has evaluated which proposal will benefit Māori (whānau, hapū and iwi) and all who engage in rugby and would unanimously agree to vote in favour of NZR’s proposal which essentially adopts all the recommendations of last year’s independent governance review.
“We support a fully independent board, appointed by a panel of experts in governance and rugby leadership, for the benefit of the sport as a whole,” the statement said.
“Rugby governance in Aotearoa New Zealand is at a crossroads, and we need to work together to navigate into the future as one. The proverb from Ngāti Maniapoto ‘Kia mau ki tēnā, Kia mau ki te kawau mārō’ suggests our future wellbeing and destiny will be determined by the strength of our commitment to stand together in spirit, mind and purpose. The principles of whanaungatanga and kaitiakitanga [relationships and guardianship] are essential for NZ Rugby to survive and thrive in the future.”
The Māori board believes governance change must be made now.
