All Blacks great Michael Jones told AFP that rugby union in New Zealand is losing the battle for “hearts and minds” to rival code rugby league, particularly among Pacific islanders.
New Zealand is synonymous with the All Blacks, but the national rugby union team has lost its aura of invincibility on the pitch and off it rugby league is “the game of the people right now”, said Jones.
His comments came just before the Moana Pasifika Super Rugby team said it would fold unless new investors came in.
The Auckland-based rugby union side formed after repeated calls for more Pacific involvement in Super Rugby and focused on players of Samoan, Tongan and Cook Islands descent.
Since debuting in 2022 the team struggled to attract fans and were unable to consistently field star Pacific talent.
During the same period the New Zealand Warriors National Rugby League side, also based in Auckland, went from strength-to-strength and consistently sold out its 25,000-seat Mt Smart Stadium with or without on-field success.
Jones, who played 55 Tests for the All Blacks and won the 1987 Rugby World Cup, told AFP the positivity, innovation and creativity of rugby league’s administrators was causing rugby union headaches.
“You’ve got to tip your hat to what rugby league is doing, but honestly if rugby keeps their heads in the clouds we’ll all be playing league,” the 61-year-old said.
“Rugby has such a heritage and legacy and the All Blacks is a powerful brand.
“But we’re kidding ourselves if we think the All Blacks will always be the All Blacks, that they’ll always be that to our nation and to the people of the Pacific.”
Traditionally the All Blacks have been the biggest name in New Zealand sport, winning the World Cup three times.
But in the last five years support has faded along with their aura.
Poor form under previous coaches Ian Foster and Scott Robertson played a part, but spectators have become more apathetic towards the sport in general.
The shift is most noticeable among the 275,000 people of Pacific origin living in Auckland.
South Auckland is a hotbed of rugby league support with fervent fandom around sold out Warriors games.
Town centres come to a standstill during international matches featuring Tonga or Samoa.
Jones said union had to learn from rugby league and its connection with the Pacific.
“If Pacific rugby is strong, New Zealand rugby is strong,” he said, adding that it would be a “tragedy” if rugby union did not find a way to better cater for Pacific supporters.
He cited rugby union’s “archaic” eligibility rules as a major issue “holding back the ability to really promote the game”.
“Samoa and Tonga are really on the periphery of world rugby. That’s not the case in league.”
In rugby union players can only switch national allegiance after a three-year stand down, while in rugby league players can change from a tier-one nation like Australia, New Zealand or England to a tier two year-on-year.
Ken Laban, a rugby league broadcaster and former player, also said the sports were “poles apart” in how they engage fans, and the Pacific.
“I remember the high profile rugby league figure Phil Gould saying a few years ago that it was his belief that Samoa, Tonga, Fiji and Papua New Guinea should get first pick of players at international level, and England, Australia and the Kiwis should get the last pick,” Laban told AFP.
“In large part that’s what we’ve seen and it’s created unbelievable growth.”
Laban said rugby union had “actively prevented that from happening”.
Next week the Warriors play the Brisbane Dolphins in Wellington, the match selling out 10 days in advance.
By contrast, the All Blacks have struggled to sell out the same stadium in recent years.
Laban said the shift in New Zealand sporting culture was summed up by which sport now leads on national television.
“Only a few people have picked up on it, but if the Warriors are playing at the same time as Super Rugby, it’s the Warriors playing on Sky Sport 1 on TV. Super Rugby is relegated to Sky Sport 2,” Laban said.
“I think that about sums it up.”
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