The past 12 months have marked a hectic time in the national game – from the field to the boardroom. Gregor Paul has revamped his authoritative list of the game’s 30 most influential power brokers, analysing the real movers and shakers in New Zealand rugby. There are 14 figures from
last year who did not make the 2026 list – keep reading to see who missed the cut.
30: Will Jordan – All Black (new entry)
The Crusaders wing-cum-fullback is one of the most experienced and respected outside backs in the country and an international superstar whose ability to conjure magical tries in the test arena has given the All Blacks a fear factor in the minds of their rivals.
But while Will Jordan holds this place of bogeyman in the imagination of opposition coaches, he has not necessarily lived up to his billing in the past two years.
The arrival of Dave Rennie as All Blacks coach, however, is a chance to invigorate the best strike weapon New Zealand has had in years and sharpen his work in two key facets that may prove inspirational and transformational.
The first, is that he has to become one of the best high-ball-takers in the country whether he plays wing of fullback and lead an aerial skills revival.
Will Jordan on the run against England at Twickenham. Photo / Brad Roberts
The All Blacks have been consistently poor at catching kicks in the past two years – and it has hurt them.
Secondly, Jordan, partly through his aerial work and partly through better coaching and understanding, needs to become more of an obvious leader within the All Blacks backline.
The team needs a strong voice and good decision-maker in the backfield and if Jordan can step up on this front, it will have a profound effect in making the All Blacks a more resilient team.
29: J. Patrick Gallagher Jr – Gallagher Insurance (new entry)
Early last year, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) lost Ineos as a sponsor, when the British-based petro-chemical firm unilaterally decided to quit its six-year sponsorship three years early.
It left NZR with a $20 million-a-year financial hole to fill, which it did by enticing Toyota to become naming sponsor of the All Blacks training kit, and Gallagher to buy the naming rights to the team’s shorts (Ineos had owned both properties).
Gallagher, the Chicago-based, global insurance firm with a market cap of around $125m, like Toyota, signed a three-year deal, primarily because its chief executive and chairman, J. Patrick Gallagher Jr, is a great admirer of the All Blacks’ legacy and culture.
In Chicago last year, ahead of the All Blacks test against Ireland at Soldier Field, he told an audience: “You heard them [All Blacks players] talking today – I put this jersey on [and] all these people came before me. I love the fact – I never knew until tonight – that they have their number.
“It’s really cute. ‘I’m [All Black number 1115] and proud of it.’ I get the fact that in New Zealand, every kid wants to play for the All Blacks and their families are proud of them. I think that’s a wonderful thing – and for us to be identified with that culture.”
J. Patrick Gallagher Jr of Gallagher Insurance.
Gallagher’s influence on New Zealand rugby could become greater as the All Blacks kit assets – front of jersey (Altrad), back of shorts and training gear – need to be agreed for the period 2028-2033 by the end of this year.
Altrad has the first right of refusal, but given that the company’s owner, Mo Altrad, is waiting for his appeal against bribery and corruption charges to be heard, NZR is conscious of the reputational risk associated with a contract extension.
Gallagher is seen as a good target to take over from Altrad on the front of the jersey, and NZR is looking for an increase on the €25m (circa $50m) the French building services company currently pays.
28: Braxton Sorensen-McGee – Black Fern (new entry)
Now that many of the stars of the 2022 World Cup campaign have retired, the Black Ferns need a new, young, iconic figure to lead a form revival and inspire the next generation.
Braxton Sorensen-McGee is potentially that figure – a teen sensation who finished the 2025 World Cup as the tournament’s top try-scorer and was named World Breakthrough Player of the Year.
She’s a finisher, be it from wing or fullback, with the pace and agility to glide and step past defenders and is the sort of player that makes fans want to watch women’s rugby and commercial entities to invest in it.
But so too do does NZR need for its rising star to be entirely loyal to rugby and stay in the sport – exclusively – for the next five years-plus.
It has become the norm for New Zealand’s best female players to have short stints in the NRL or overseas, which diminishes the value of rugby and the sense that playing for the Black Ferns is indeed the pinnacle.
Sorensen-McGee can change the commercial and high-performance profile of women’s rugby in New Zealand and win a new generation of players.
27: Greg Barclay – NZR board member (28)
The former International Cricket Council chair and New Zealand Cricket director replaced former NZR chief executive Mark Robinson as one of New Zealand’s three representatives on World Rugby’s council last year.
Greg Barclay now finds himself in what is effectively a fight for rugby’s soul as New Zealand’s attempts to campaign for a faster, more aerobic game – essentially agreements to lessen dead time, speed things up and reduce TMO (television match official) influence – have met stiff resistance from France and South Africa.
What New Zealand wants adopted on a global scale can be seen in the law tweaks under which Super Rugby Pacific is being played – more infringements leading to free kicks (without options to scrum), pressure on teams to use the ball after five seconds, and the semi-outlawing of caterpillar rucks.
New Zealand Rugby board member and former New Zealand Cricket board chairman Greg Barclay. Photo / Photosport
But former French referee Mathieu Raynal reacted to the Super law amendments by saying this: “They [Australia and New Zealand] want more passing, more tries, less time spent in mauls and scrums, whereas we [the Northern Hemisphere] defend these specific elements and are against directions being set by the Southern Hemisphere.
“Our championship [the Top 14] works. Our stadiums are full, rugby is watched more than football in the country. We don’t want to follow directions coming from countries where stadiums are empty, where they are trying to recreate spectacle and bring people back to stadiums at any cost.”
How effective Barclay can be as an international statesman in persuading his Northern Hemisphere colleagues to support New Zealand’s stance will have a major bearing on what kind of refereeing will be seen at next year’s World Cup.
26: Rassie Erasmus – Springboks (new entry)
The All Blacks will play the Springboks four times this year, twice before the World Cup next year and probably once at the tournament – which will be the quarter-final.
For the past two years – maybe longer – the Boks have had the All Blacks’ number. They have been better-selected, better-coached and better-presented in the media – all of which is down to Rassie Erasmus.
He’s the smartest, most innovative coach in the world game and having led the Boks to five wins in their last six encounters against the All Blacks, he clearly stands in the way of the national team winning the next World Cup.
Erasmus is setting trends, such as the 7-1 bench split and the hybrid player – someone who can play in both the backs and forwards – and a big part of new All Blacks coach Dave Rennie’s brief will be to outsmart him.
25: Malcolm Gillies – Hurricanes majority shareholder (new entry)
The millionaire property developer rode to the rescue of the Hurricanes late last year when he bought Wellington Rugby’s stake in the underperforming club to take his ownership to 50%.
He also took over as chair and made some changes to the management – shifting rugby manager Tony Philp to interim chief executive.
Malcolm Gillies now sits as the driving force behind the Hurricanes and potentially his investment and arrival at the club can improve the balance sheet as heavy losses have been reported in the last few years.
“The last few years have been difficult for the Hurricanes financially, with operating losses up to and including the last financial year, where we are likely to post a loss of $2m,” outgoing chair Iain Potter said.
But Gillies is possibly more than a saviour for the Hurricanes: he represents the sort of deep-pocketed, business-savvy figures that Super Rugby needs to survive.
And by extension, he represents Super Rugby’s longer-term future – which is to become a fully privately-owned competition detached from the respective national unions of New Zealand and Australia.
Hurricanes players huddle ahead of their match against Moana Pasifika last month. Photo / Photosport
24: Jack Mesley – CEO Super Rugby Pacific (22)
Jack Mesley, who came into the newly created role of Super Rugby Pacific CEO in April 2024, has made a noticeable impact in making the competition more watchable and more enjoyable for the players by signing off on various law changes designed to kill dead time and speed the game up.
He’s also introduced Fantasy Super Rugby and been rewarded by seeing a surge in Super’s TV viewing figures, with the competition attracting almost 1.2 million viewers in the first three rounds last year.
Mesley has also given the media a go-to person who can explain decisions, strategy and ambition.
But it’s also apparent that having grabbed the low-hanging fruit as it were with law amendments, the Super Rugby commission and Mesley need to be granted more power to make more significant changes.
Mesley can’t make decisions about the number of teams in the competition, he can’t introduce mechanisms such as a draft or push to sell the competition to a private equity investor.
Mesley is not as powerful as he needs to be for Super Rugby Pacific to get the most out of him.
Super Rugby Pacific CEO Jack Mesley needs more power to make more significant changes. Photo / Photosport
23: Brodie Retallick – Former All Black (new entry)
For the past few years, there has been increased discussion about New Zealand’s eligibility rules, with some of the chatter being generated by All Blacks coaches.
Former head coach Scott Robertson spent much of 2024 publicly suggesting he wanted changes, while new coach Dave Rennie made – the day he was appointed – this comment about Brodie Retallick.
“I get to see him train and play every week. He’s stronger than he’s ever been, he’s fitter than he’s ever been.
“I’m not sure if I’m allowed to [pick him] yet. There’s no doubt we want to win the World Cup and you need your best players available.”
Rennie’s point was clear – that it would make more sense if he was able to pick Retallick, who is currently playing in Japan. Retallick is, after all, a world-class lock with enormous leadership capability and the capacity to seriously bolster the All Blacks, but he’s off limits due to his club contract being held by Kobe.
But would it be a terrible precedent if Retallick was granted eligibility this year and next, but played for Kobe in 2027 instead of in Super Rugby?
It seems like Retallick could be a genuine test case, who may become the player who forced a major change in the All Blacks’ eligibility policy.
22: Karl Budge – Blues chief executive (new entry)
The former ASB Classic tournament director has been hired by the Blues on a highly specific brief to grow the club’s fan base.
Auckland is the country’s population and commercial hub, and while the Blues enjoy bigger average crowds than most and generate the highest revenue in the competition, there remains an undeniable sense that rugby doesn’t pull its weight in a city that has an A-League club, an NRL club and an NBL club.
“We know we’ve got to invest more in our fan experience,” Karl Budge told the Herald in February.
“That’s why I’ve been hired. I’m not employed for my Second XV rugby minutes. I’m here to unlock the fans and show them they’re our priority.”
Budge, who turned the ASB Classic into a must-attend event, has the capacity to turn the Blues into the undisputed giant of Super Rugby Pacific and knock the Crusaders off their perch.
Karl Budge had success running the ASB Classic tennis tournament.
21: Phil Waugh – CEO Rugby Australia (19)
As has been unequivocally proven in the last decade or so, New Zealand rugby’s overall health is affected by events across the Tasman.
As much as the game needs strong leaders in New Zealand, so too does it need a steady hand to be on the Australian tiller and for rugby there to be financially viable, growing its footprint, finding new fans and producing competitive Super teams, as well as a credible Wallabies outfit.
Phil Waugh has been a strong and effective leader since he took over in June 2023, which has helped lift the performance of Super Rugby Pacific clubs across the board.
But now he seems intent on exploring the prospect of aligning the dates of the Rugby Championship with those of the Six Nations to create a global season.
The shift would work for Australia potentially as it would see test rugby played at a time when the NRL and AFL are not in full swing.
It’s unclear, though, whether the move would suit New Zealand, as it would impact the NPC – its role, viability and commercial standing.
Waugh told the Herald: “Test rugby is in strong health around the world, including here in Australia, where the Wallabies last year set a new attendance record.
“A global calendar has been discussed for some time and, as ever, Rugby Australia will engage with an open mind and act in the best interests of our teams and players, fans and partners.”
Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh: “Test rugby is in strong health around the world.” Photo / Photosport
20: Cam Roigard – All Black (new entry)
There was maybe an alternative universe in which Cam Roigard stayed fit throughout 2024 ad 2025 and Scott Robertson kept his job as All Blacks coach.
But sadly for Robertson, and the All Blacks, Roigard missed most of 2024 and large parts of 2025 with various injuries – and his absence was keenly felt.
The All Blacks were a different team when Roigard was on the park – he scored a wonder try against Ireland in Chicago, which showed his strength and agility around the fringes, and his kicking game was more effective than any of the other No 9s who played in his absence.
His speed to the breakdown and ability to generate a high-tempo game was also at a different level and he has the potential to dramatically shift the way the All Blacks play and turn them – with the right coaching – into a world-leading attacking force.
Cam Roigard is an influential force for the All Blacks when he’s on the field. Photo / Photosport
19: Richie McCaw – Board member NZ Commercial Company (16)
The man many recognise as the greatest All Black in history continues to have significant influence on shaping strategies and attitudes to steer the game in New Zealand in the right direction.
No one is as good as Richie McCaw at taking the temperature of where things are at within the All Blacks.
He spent time with the All Blacks last year at the request of former coach Scott Robertson, and when he was asked in November to give an assessment of the team culture, he said: “I get a sense it starts to become more about what I can get rather than what I can give.
“One of the things in the All Blacks was always about when you come in there, it’s what you give to the team and you’ll get rewards out of that, but it’s about putting ‘we’ in front of ‘me’.
“If you look at years gone by, people probably had that first thought. Whereas now it’s a little bit more about ‘where I sit and what I can get out of that’.
“I’m not saying that’s wrong, it’s just different. In team dynamics, how do you make sure people are prepared to do what’s right for the team, rather than what’s right for me?”
No one understands what a high-performance culture looks like better than McCaw, and nor does anyone have a better understanding of what players have to sacrifice to win. That’s why his comments are priceless at helping executives and directors form opinions and make informed decisions about coaching appointments, personnel restructures and commercial innovations.
Former All Blacks captain Richie McCaw still holds a great deal of influence in New Zealand rugby. Photo / Photosport
18: Whitney Hansen – Black Ferns coach (new entry)
For the first time in 32 years, the Black Ferns have a female coach and if Whitney Hansen can deliver the performances and results to return the national team back to No 1 in the world, then it will have a profound effect on how much NZR is likely to trust and invest in future pathways for aspiring female coaches.
It feels instinctively right that the Black Ferns have a woman and not a man at the helm and yet more right that it is one with such a strong appreciation of the team’s values and potential, as well as holding a deep understanding of how far the women’s game has evolved in terms of the athletes it now produces.
After a period of mediocrity under an all-male coaching cast, Hansen has an opportunity to reshape attitudes at NZR HQ about what the Black Ferns need to be successful.
Hansen told the Herald recently: “The Black Ferns are more than a team. It’s beyond a brand. It’s a way of being and it’s something to aspire to.”
“When we talk about what that looks like and where we want to go, it’s world-leading and it’s something that stands alone.
“The standalone piece is really important to me and I know it’s something I’ve got real support from NZR around. This team has a unique whakapapa and legacy. It has amazing stories to tell and we have some amazing people that tell them. So let’s own the narrative. Let’s tell that story. Let’s not just be another team in black – we’re the Black Ferns.”
17: Steve Lancaster – NZR interim CEO (new entry)
The interim CEO has been told by the NZR board that he may be in the role for a while, as a permanent successor to Mark Robinson may not be found for some time yet.
Steve Lancaster will shift to a new role – chief rugby officer – once a permanent CEO is found. Until then, he’s going to be central to the appointment process and the selection of the high-performance director who will sit over the All Blacks coach. Lancaster will also be overseeing the quest to renew around $100m of sponsorships that are set to expire, as well as manage costs and run the business day-to-day.
New Zealand Rugby’s Steve Lancaster. Photo / Photosport
16: Sophie Moloney – Chief executive Sky (6)
Sky secured the five-year rights for rugby in August 2025, and that deal steadied its share price and ended unwanted speculation about the company’s future.
But the reduced price Sky paid – from $100m a year to around $80m a year – and its tired-looking suite of midweek rugby content and over-reliance on former players with limited broadcast experience to serve as game-day analysts, gives the overriding impression that the broadcaster cares little for its subscribers and takes its future media-rights ownership for granted.
Despite its constant efforts to tinker around the edges of its Super Rugby coverage with different presenters, camera angles and interview targets, the whole Sky formula looks tired because it is essentially just tinkering and not addressing the underlying fundamentals. The coverage needs a total revamp, with more journalistic input, more critical and informed analysis and a greater sense that it is covering the game authentically, rather than protecting its relationship with NZR.
For too long, Sky has felt like the broadcast arm of NZR – an in-house channel that can find positives even in a record All Blacks defeat to the Springboks.
Sophie Moloney is ultimately responsible for shaping the way Kiwis view rugby and for too long, it has felt the biggest goal for Sky has been to cut and manage costs rather than enhance the viewer experience.
If Sky is to remain the incumbent rights holder, it needs to provide greater evidence that it loves rugby as much as it says it does.
Sky TV chief executive Sophie Moloney.
15: Richie Mo’unga – Returning All Black (new entry)
It took a protracted negotiation, that was fraught with tension at times, but the 50-cap playmaker agreed to return to New Zealand this May after a three-year stint in Japan.
Everyone has their opinions about his abilities at test level, but there is no question Richie Mo’unga is the man the All Blacks need in their No 10 jersey if they are to win the World Cup.
He has been tearing up the Japanese league and he’s got everything the All Blacks need – speed across the ground in all directions, neat passing, vision, accurate goalkicking and a calm temperament.
Mo’unga’s influence is undeniable – he’s going to lead the All Blacks attack and be the team’s chief playmaker.
Richie Mo’unga is on track to make a highly anticipated return to the All Blacks this year. Photo / Photosport
14: Chris Brown – NZR chief commercial officer (new entry)
The newly arrived chief commercial officer is going to have to hit the ground running, as NZR has about $100m of sponsorships that need to be renewed by the end of this year – chiefly the $70m of All Blacks kit partnerships.
Plenty of work was done on kit sponsorship before Chris Brown arrived in February, but he is going to be entrusted as the man to sail the ship home, as it were.
The challenge for him is threefold – Altrad has the first right of refusal to renew its $50m front-of-jersey agreement, but not everyone at NZR is believed to be sold on extending with the French building services company, as its owner is facing a court appeal over serious bribery and corruption charges.
NZR also wants Brown to deliver an uplift on current agreements and, ideally, they want him to land consumer brands rather than companies that are privately owned by billionaires.
13: Duncan Sandlant – Wasserman director (new entry)
Duncan Sandlant started professional life as a lawyer, cutting his teeth in the fast-moving world of employment law in London.
With that grounding, he transitioned into being a sports agent as one of the founding directors of Esportif, and now he finds himself representing more than half of the game’s best coaches.
Sandlant, now back in New Zealand, specialises in managing the careers of leading coaches, and his client roster includes Dave Rennie, Vern Cotter, Tony Brown and Gregor Townsend among others.
Given the value now placed on coaches and having the right ones in charge of the right teams at the right times, Sandlant is a figure at the heart of the professional game.
12: Jorja Miller – Black Fern (new entry)
The 22-year-old is the face of both the Black Ferns Sevens and XVs teams and a player with the sort of profile and following that can be used to retain fans and win new ones.
Jorja Miller is dynamic, agile, skilled and brave, and equally good at both versions of the game. She’s nominally listed as an openside when she plays XVs, but after one of her early tests last year against Australia, where she pitched up all over the place and scored a wonder try, head coach at the time Alun Bunting was asked whether he would keep Miller at No 7.
He said there was no need, because: “She’s probably playing wherever she wants at the moment anyway.”
Miller is also symptomatic of the Black Ferns culture – open, honest and fun and exactly the sort of personality that is helping differentiate the women’s game from the men’s.
11: Conrad Smith – IRPA head of rugby operations (23)
NZR set out in August last year to find a chief executive – and still the search goes on. Head of community rugby Steve Lancaster has been promoted to the role on an interim basis but is not considered by the board to be a serious candidate to do the job long-term.
The difficulty in finding an external candidate and the lack of credible internal options has highlighted how much NZR needs to have a better-developed succession plan.
It should be actively shaping the careers of some hand-picked rugby figures, and no one seems more like a chief executive-in-waiting than former All Black Conrad Smith.
Smith has a law degree, 94 test caps, and a growing portfolio of experience working in rugby administration through his role with the International Rugby Players’ Association where he is the head of rugby operations.
He’s also on several World Rugby committees and becoming an increasingly respected and influential figure in boardrooms around the world.
But the missing piece is leadership in a major, complex corporation – something he should be encouraged to do to place him as NZR’s chief executive-in-waiting.
Conrad Smith in action for the All Blacks at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Photo / Brett Phibbs
10: Simon Patterson – Managing director Silver Lake (15)
Simon Patterson, alongside his Silver Lake colleague Stephen Evans, is one of the two directors the US fund manager has sitting on the NZ Commercial Company board, following its purchase of an equity stake in NZR.
When the Herald’s Rugby Power List was first published in 2023, Patterson was written up as being a key figure in shaping NZR’s broadcast strategy, vetting its sponsorship partners and likely being a key voice in determining where and against whom the All Blacks play additional test matches.
It’s clear now that Patterson – and by extension, Silver Lake – has had a major influence on where the All Blacks play, as part of a goal to generate significantly more game-day revenue.
The All Blacks are only playing four home games this year as they chase offshore dollars in South Africa and the USA.
But while Patterson’s influence can be seen in the fixture list, there was no discernible lift in broadcast income this year, forcing questions to be asked – because driving an improved deal for the 2026-2030 cycle was supposed to be a big reason Silver Lake had been brought on board.
This year, NZR has to agree extensions on the sponsorships attached to the All Blacks kit – around $70m a year – and it’s forecasting a rise in value.
In a sense, this will be the greatest test yet of the Silver Lake investment thesis of building a greater following through a content hub to drive higher prices. The whole premise of Silver Lake’s thesis is that NZR needed to increase its content output, get better at capturing data and present potential investors with a suite of statistics that showed the incredible reach and penetration of the All Blacks.
These upcoming sponsorships renewals will be the biggest test of Silver Lake’s influence and provide an evidential basis for NZR to determine if the partnership is working.
9: Simon Porter – Chief executive Halo (12)
There’s an undeniable truism that the All Blacks’ success – and by extension the overall wellbeing of the rugby ecosystem – is dependent on the best talent giving their best years to New Zealand.
For that to happen, New Zealand need smart, skilled and innovative people to represent the best talent and help them make the best career decisions.
And looking at the raft of announcements over the last 12 months, it’s apparent New Zealand is winning, hands down, the fight to keep their best players here.
Damian McKenzie, Wallace Sititi, Tupou Vaa’i, Cam Roigard, Jordie Barrett, Tamaiti Williams, Leroy Carter and Simon Parker are some of the players to have signed through to the World Cup or beyond in the last 12 months, and while not all of them are represented by Porter’s agency Halo, many of them are.
The fact that so many good players keep opting to stay in New Zealand is largely down to the work of Porter and his super agent colleague, Warren Alcock, who is recognised as one of the most trusted and skilled legal negotiators in the game.
8: Melodie Robinson – general manager sports and events TVNZ (5)
TVNZ has two good chances to make itself a serious sports broadcaster and potential future buyer of NZR’s domestic media rights.
The first is that it now has the contract to show live NPC games (for free) and demonstrate whether it can deliver a high-class viewer experience with its commentary, analysis, presentation and all-round graphics and stats packaging.
New Zealand desperately needs a new flavour to its rugby coverage after decades of Sky-only coverage.
Secondly, TVNZ+ is introducing a paywall this year and the guinea pig will be the Fifa World Cup. The intrigue will be whether TVNZ can effectively pay for the rights with subscription income.
If the technology works and uptake is high, TVNZ could potentially bid for more sports events and even retain its paywall for ad-free access to all its content – a shift that could see its annual income jump by as much as $300m.
Melodie Robinson, a hugely respected figure within domestic and international rugby circles, is now in charge of proving TVNZ can provide the right sort of flavour to sell rugby to the masses and reposition the Government-owned channel from bit-part player to a serious heavyweight capable of being the home of all rugby content.
Melodie Robinson is a respected figure within domestic and international rugby. Photo / Dean Purcell
7: Rob Nichol – Head of NZRPA (3)
New Zealand Rugby has come out of a tumultuous five-year period in which it brought on a private-equity partner and redrafted its constitution – events that saw the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association (NZRPA) and Nichol thrust into civil war with NZR.
Rob Nichol was rarely out of the news in 2022 and 2023, which is why he was No 1 on this list when it was first published.
But now that an element of stability has kicked in, and NZR and NZRPA are much better aligned on the strategic direction of the game, Nichol has been able to step away from the front lines, as it were, and focus on tightening the relationship between the players and their employer.
And this is why he remains a critical figure in the game, as arguably one of New Zealand’s greatest advantages on the international stage is its employment landscape and aligned partnership between the players and their employer.
Having a long, trusting and respectful relationship between the professional players and NZR has been the All Blacks’ secret weapon, as it has enabled high-quality Super Rugby environments to develop, the creation of player-centric management policies, and enough perks to encourage talent to stay in New Zealand.
Nichol may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s a sign that he has fought relentlessly for his membership.
Rob Nichol is the long-serving head of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association. Photo / Dean Purcell
6: Len Blavatnik – Owner of DAZN (10)
When NZR began its negotiation to sell its domestic media rights for the current 2026-2030 block, it had hoped the price would be higher than the $100m-a-year deal it had secured for the 2021-2025 period.
But when it signed off in August last year, it had only secured a deal worth around $80m a year, primarily because incumbent rights holder Sky had no competitive force to worry about.
And that lack of competition was key to the price drop. Sky always knew there was no other entity it had to be wary of in the domestic market – no other broadcaster remotely capable of mounting a credible rival bid.
For a brief period NZR had talked to DAZN – pronounced “da-zone” – the British-based streaming platform that had just bought Australia’s Foxtel.
For whatever reason, the discussions didn’t progress to a serious extent, but if NZR wants to materially change the value of its domestic broadcast rights, then it needs to spend the next four years cultivating a relationship with DAZN, specifically, its founder Len Blavatnik.
Without competition, Sky will continue to short change NZR, and so Blavatnik, who was born in Ukraine, brought up in the Soviet Union and is now a citizen of both the UK and the USA, needs to be seen at All Blacks tests this year.
He is estimated to have personal wealth of around US$29 billion, having first made his fortune in aluminium and oil when the Soviet Union collapsed.
But Blavatnik has shown himself to be a skilled entrepreneur, having bought and revived Warner Music Group, and is now building DAZN into a serious and viable broadcast platform.
He’s bankrolled DAZN’s growth to date, but the company recently took investment from the Saudi Arabia sovereign wealth fund and there is no doubt that the cash reserves are there to offer NZR a deal that it can’t turn down if it can be enticed into seeing rugby as a value acquisition.
Len Blavatnik – Owner of DAZN. Photo / Supplied
5: Miles Hurrell – Former CEO Fonterra (new entry)
NZR began a global hunt for a new chief executive in August last year and has still not found a candidate it thinks is right for the role.
Having got down to a shortlist last year, a process that saw candidates interviewed but no job offer made, the board is believed to have decided that it should switch strategy to some extent and target a few hand-picked, older, experienced, corporate heavyweights at the tail end of their careers.
The thinking is that seasoned heavyweights will have the skills to manage a complex organisation and may see the challenge of being involved in rugby as one that carries enormous appeal because of its profile, challenges and social standing.
Being CEO of NZR is a job with a vast scope of responsibilities that range from negotiating multi-million dollar broadcast deals, working with equity partner Silver Lake, balancing the books in an organisation that will soon be turning over in excess of $300 million, maintaining relationships with major corporate (All Blacks) sponsors, other international executives and administrative bodies, while being across all the happenings within the domestic game down to junior club level.
Not only are the demands of the role significant and varied, but so too is there a need for the incoming chief executive to bring an element of stability and confidence to an organisation that has endured upheaval and disruption in the last five years.
A few names have been bandied around as possible targets, but now that Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell has stood down from the dairy co-operative, could he be the right man to lead NZR?
He’s had 26 years at Fonterra, the last eight as CEO, during which he has seen effective cost-cutting and strategic asset sales to drive up net profits in both 2023 and 2024.
Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell faces the media. Photo / Alyse Wright
4: Unknown – High-performance director (new entry)
In a sign of how much importance NZR is now putting on All Blacks performances and results, a decision was made in the wake of former coach Scott Robertson’s exit to create a new role of high-performance director.
This is a shift that is perhaps long overdue and will see the All Blacks coach report directly to the high-performance director, with the occupant of the new post going to be effectively embedded with the national team.
This is about not only upping the coaching horsepower of the All Blacks, but also to provide robust oversight and continuous evaluation of the culture, set-up and environment to ensure systemic failings don’t go undiagnosed and fester.
If New Zealand is going to return to being an innovation hub, a country that leads rather than follows the world, then the chemistry and alliance between the high-performance director and the All Blacks coach will need to be spot-on.
And for that to be the case, the successful candidate will need to have coached and succeeded at the highest level, know how to advise, mentor and yet not restrict or impede Dave Rennie – and the two will need to operate on mutual trust and respect.
Candidates with the credibility and track record to fulfil the brief are limited – and in rugby, the list could be as short as Sir Steve Hansen, Joe Schmidt and Ian Foster.
3: Ardie Savea – All Black (4)
Ardie Savea remains New Zealand’s one undisputed global superstar who is still playing.
He’s the player foreign fans know and love, and he’s the player who so often makes the difference between the All Blacks winning and losing.
Whether he’s given the All Blacks’ captaincy or not under new head coach Dave Rennie won’t change the fact he’s the country’s most influential player.
Savea wins games with his turnovers, his leg drive, his ability to beat defenders in open space and his calm demeanour.
He’s probably the best No 7 in the world, and possibly the best player in the world, and there is a sense he could take his game to a higher level under Dave Rennie, having clearly not enjoyed the environment under previous coach Scott Robertson.
Savea is also hugely influential off the field, where he’s an inspiration to younger Pasifika athletes for not only the way he plays but for the respectful, clean way he lives.
If the All Blacks can get Savea back to his best this year, they will be a different team.
Ardie Savea celebrates after his 100th test. Photo / Photosport
2: Dave Rennie – All Blacks coach (new entry)
Dave Rennie has taken over the All Blacks two years out from the World Cup – and with a simple brief.
His predecessor, Scott Robertson, was effectively let go because, according to NZR chairman David Kirk: “I think trajectory is a good word to apply, we just, we weren’t seeing the trajectory.”
The meaning of trajectory is open to interpretation, but it means delivering a consistency of performance and results, playing a style of rugby that engages fans but also presents as viable in terms of being able to win long-term, collect titles and trophies and get the All Blacks past the quarter-finals of next year’s World Cup.
In essence, Rennie is being asked to put the All Blacks on a level with the Springboks – ideally win the Greatest Rivalry series, but at the least come out of it having won one test- and create a new narrative that New Zealand is leading the world again in game plans, skill execution and athlete development.
“I am well aware of the expectations and scrutiny with this role,” Rennie said on the day he was given the job. “I am very clear on the type of game we want to play … and the type of athlete we need. I have got some firm ideas about the shifts we will make to make us better.”
Dave Rennie: “I am well aware of the expectations and scrutiny with this role.” Photo / SmartFrame
1: David Kirk – Chair of New Zealand Rugby (1)
For a long time, the iconic image of David Kirk was him lifting the World Cup in 1987, having captained the All Blacks to victory at Eden Park.
Now, there is a new selection of potential images – Kirk addressing the media earlier this year after All Blacks coach Scott Robertson had been let go, or Kirk and new All Blacks coach Dave Rennie holding court at NZR HQ.
If there was any doubt about who was running New Zealand Rugby and indeed New Zealand rugby, it ended in January when Kirk announced that Robertson was out, two years into his four-year contract.
Kirk had been personally involved in the review into the All Blacks that determined Robertson’s fate and of course, is the head of the board that made the decision.
He was on the appointment panel that chose Rennie as the new coach, and he was instrumental in bringing on new sponsor Gallagher, through a personal connection.
There has also been a major high-performance cleanout and reset in the last month, and there is a profound sense that he’s been operating more as a US-style-executive chair in the absence of a permanent CEO.
David Kirk: “I am beyond being an executive.” Photo / Sylvie Whinray
In July last year, the Herald asked Kirk if he was in fact best qualified to be the CEO. He acknowledged that he might be, but that he had no desire or capacity to do the role. “I am beyond being an executive,” he said.
“I have had the most experience across sport. My age and my life. There are not many people who have had that broad experience. That is just a fact.”
That NZR hasn’t yet been able to find a permanent CEO, again, alludes to the influence of Kirk, as he has led the search and obviously hasn’t felt that the process has unearthed anyone of the requisite calibre.
And in the absence of a permanent CEO, the perception will remain that Kirk is effectively running NZR – certainly making the big decisions.
Here are the 14 people who were included in the 2025 list and missed out this year: Scott Robertson, Scott Barrett, Ian Narev, Hannah Porter, Mark Robinson, Chris Lendrum, Beauden Barrett, Jason Ryan, Katelyn Vaha’akolo, Yarnie Guthrie, Richard Dellabarca, Scott Hansen, Ayesha Leti-l’iga and Clayton McMillan.
Gregor Paul is one of New Zealand’s most respected rugby writers and columnists. He has won multiple awards for journalism and written several books about sport.
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