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Former Kiwi Questions Diversity of New Zealand Rugby League’s Leaders
Former Kiwis player Tony Kemp says New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) should better reflect the community that plays the game.
In an explosive open letter to New Zealand Rugby League, which Kemp posted on social media, he called on the board to have more Māori and Pasifika voices and for more funding for the grassroots game.
He said that the letter “articulated what most of New Zealand is thinking around the support of the game especially for our Māori and Pasifika whanau that have delivered an experience for their communities with no funding support whatsoever.
“I’m making a statement that basically calls out the equity issue where the product is being delivered by Māori and Pasifika but the funding is going directly to an organisation that isn’t sharing it and I don’t think it’s right.”
Kemp pointed out that 60% of the participation rates for rugby league are in Auckland and “the reality of it is that the game is predominantly played by Māori north of Orewa and south of the Bombay Hills and it is Pasifika if you know anything about Auckland rugby league.”
He said the NZRL should prioritise ethnic diversity ahead of gender diversity on their board.
“Both Sport NZ and the NZRL have forgotten to recognise the prominence Māori play in regards to Rugby League in this country,” he wrote in his letter.
“By not recognising Māori with at least one independent seat at the board before a gender based approach lacks integrity and is contrary to the treaty. It’s one thing to have Māori members on the board as opposed to having a Maori representative elected to that position by their peers and is a friendly reminder of the casual racism the current constitution allows for.”
Kemp also said he had concerns about how NZRL distributed the funding the organisation received – thought to be $7 million.
“Less than 3 percent of the money is going into the grassroots game,” Kemp said.
“You’ll see if you look at those [annual] budgets the majority of the funding is spent either on salaries, directors fees or the international game and what we’re saying is New Zealand can’t survive on that mentality.
“From a financial position seven board directors and the CEO are getting more money than the game is as a whole being shared out in New Zealand. That simply tells you that there is something wrong.
“Even though we don’t have any internationals this year the game is still languishing at grassroots, [NZRL] has become an events centre, focussing on internationals as opposed to doing what they are meant to be doing as a national sporting office and looking after their community.”
/Stewart Sports news editor
