EDITORIAL:

There’s something about New Zealand Rugby at the moment that just feels… flat.  

Corporate. Safe. Managed.  

And when you’re trying to run one of the biggest sporting brands on the planet, “safe” is dangerous. 

Yes, they’ll tell us the revenue’s at a record $304 million.  

They’ll tell us sponsorship is up.  

They’ll tell us Chicago sold out and the All Blacks still pack stadiums.  

But let’s be honest — this should be one of the easiest sporting brands in the world to sell. 

The black jersey is iconic. The haka is iconic. The history is iconic.  

Yet somehow, we’re talking about a $7.5 million net loss again. 

And maybe that’s because the organisation keeps acting like a government department instead of a global entertainment business. 

Look at the CEO process.  

Six months of searching the globe for some transformational leader.  

The rugby world equivalent of a Silicon Valley disruptor.  

Someone who understands streaming, digital audiences, global fan engagement, content, entertainment, merchandising, America, Asia — the future.  

Then after all that? They appoint the interim guy permanently.  

An ex-lock. A respected administrator. Nice bloke by all accounts.  

But was that really the bold vision? 

Because right now rugby doesn’t need another caretaker. It needs someone who can explode the brand internationally. 

The NBA doesn’t think like a sports organisation anymore. Formula One doesn’t. The UFC doesn’t.  

They’re entertainment machines. Storytelling machines. Content machines.  

Rugby still feels like it’s run by people sitting around a provincial boardroom table talking about constitutions and subcommittees. 

Meanwhile, participation pressures continue, young people have more sporting options than ever, and global attention spans are shrinking by the second. 

And another thing — stop pretending sell-outs automatically mean success. The All Blacks have always sold tickets in New Zealand. That’s not innovation. That’s heritage. 

The question is: where’s the next generation of fans coming from? Where’s the global growth? Where’s the obsession? Where’s the swagger? 

Because from the outside looking in, New Zealand Rugby still feels like it’s being run by rugby people… instead of world-class business and entertainment people. 

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