New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the 26 Provincial Unions have today opened applications for $7.5 million of funding to rugby clubs as part of the recent capital raise process, of which Southland clubs will receive a total of $370,000.

Over 450 New Zealand community rugby clubs are set to receive the Short-term Stakeholder Investment (SSI) ranging from $10,000 to $40,000 per club, with the first round of funds to be paid by the end of October.

Rugby Southland General Manager Steve Mitchell said this is a worthy investment for our union, especially with so much club history and pride.

"The Rugby Clubs in Southland, like many other parts of New Zealand, are at the heart of the community and provide much more than the game of Rugby to the local residents", said Mitchell. 

"Used for many social and community events alongside of being a second home to many throughout the Rugby season, they are a crucial aspect to the true fabric of New Zealand society.

"I encourage all eligible clubs to make contact with our Rugby Southland staff to help determine an accepted and effective spend of this generous financial support." 

NZR General Manager Community Rugby, Steve Lancaster, said the distribution underlined the importance of rugby clubs to the sport.

“Central to bringing investment into the game was community rugby, and the recognition that clubs are a vital part of the game. This funding is about supporting clubs to grow and giving others some short-term financial stability.” Lancaster added that clubs would be encouraged to focus investment across several key areas for the community game.

“We want to make the most of this opportunity right across the game. Alongside the Provincial Unions, we’re encouraging clubs to focus on initiatives that make facilities and environments welcoming, and get more Kiwis playing.

“Hosting the Rugby World Cup has the potential to be a huge boost to women and girls’ rugby, and we’d certainly like clubs to look about how they can use the investment to support this area of the game.”

Community rugby clubs are required to meet a set of criteria to be eligible and complete a submission to their Provincial Union.

The total investment will be determined by each club’s registered player numbers over the past five years.

The Silver Lake partnership with NZR was confirmed in July and involves an investment of $200m for a minority ownership percentage in NZR Commercial LP. As part of this, distributions to rugby stakeholders were confirmed, including $7.5m for rugby clubs, $2m into Māori Rugby, $20m into Provincial Unions and $900k to other associates.

There will also be a $60m contribution to a new Legacy Fund, an amount set aside to invest in growth, various investments across the game and the balance of funds after costs will form an injection in to NZR reserves to safeguard the game against any future financial disruptions.

NZR will provide more details regarding distribution of funds to other members and rugby stakeholders in the coming weeks.

The SSI announcement comes after NZR launched a new two-year initiative in July this year to strengthen community rugby clubs around the country. The Future of Rugby Clubs project will identify the current and preferred future state of the rugby club system in New Zealand and provide a transformational plan for NZR to implement.

More information is available at www.nzrugby.co.nz -ENDS

Community rugby club investment tiering

Player numbers are determined by the average number of registrations a club has had across each of the seasons it has fielded at least one team in the past five years.

Registration data from 2019 will be used in 2020 due to Covid-19.

Registered players Investment

15-199 $10,000

200-399 $20,000

400-599 $30,000

600+ $40,000

Media opportunities: Zoom: NZR General Manager Community Rugby Steve Lancaster, Waikato Rugby CEO Carl Moon and Mid Canterbury Rugby Union CEO Tanya Dearns are available via Zoom at 12pm today.

The Zoom will also provide more details on the community rugby clubs investment process.

Please contact Paul Stevens for the Zoom link. Interviews: NZR General Manager Community Rugby Steve Lancaster is available from 10.30am to 11am and 12.30 to 2pm today for in-person and phone interviews. Please contact Paul Stevens. Media Contact: Paul Stevens, NZR Communications Manager: paul.stevens@nzrugby.co.nz, 021 168 4806

Rugby Southland contacts:

Rugby Southland Community Rugby Manager: Hua Tamariki - hua@rugbysouthland.co.nz 

Rugby Southland Operations Manager: Dermot Hughes - dermot@rugbysouthland.co.nz 

Article added: Tuesday 06 September 2022