Latest / Early Edition with Ryan Bridge / Jason Pine: Weekend Sport Host on Moana Pasifika's financial struggles

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Jason Pine: Weekend Sport Host on Moana Pasifika's financial struggles · Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Super Rugby's Muana PACIFICA team is being propped up to
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: buy taxpayer cash to the tune of about eight million dollars. Yes, so,
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: through its inception and first three seasons, the team receiving
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: eight million dollars in New Zealand government help. About five
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: million were grants. Three million dollars was a Sport New
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Zealand loan. First repayments of that made in March and
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: the rest now due. Apparently three hundred thousand dollars of
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: the loan has been written off already and another use
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: of money through Farno Order funds has come via the
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: PACIFICA Medical Association Group, which is a charity which is
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  Speaker 1: the primary backer of the team. Now this money is
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: going to dry up under government changes. Jason Pine News
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  Speaker 1: talks every week in Sport host with me this morning.
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  Speaker 1: This is a story in the Herald. Jason, good morning, Yeah, morning, right.
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  Speaker 1: What does this mean for the team.
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: Well, it can't be good news, can it. When money
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  Speaker 2: drives up, that's never a good thing. And as you've outlined,
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  Speaker 2: the owners of the team, PACIFICA Medical Association Group, the
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: charity that owns Winna Pacific, are going to lose that
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  Speaker 2: fun to order contract. Look, not all of that money
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  Speaker 2: obviously went to Majana Pacifica, but their funds the rugby
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  Speaker 2: teams that have been bolstered significantly in the last couple
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  Speaker 2: of years through that money, as well as broadcast, which
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  Speaker 2: we know is also going to be reduced when the
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  Speaker 2: new Sky ideal comes out. Sponsorship's never easy to come by,
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  Speaker 2: so there's a lot of revenue streams here, Ryan, and
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  Speaker 2: none of them are increasing. So yeah, it's got to
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  Speaker 2: be it's got to be furrowing the brow of those
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  Speaker 2: Atana Pacifica HQ.
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. How are rugby teams cup rugby teams normally funded?
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  Speaker 1: Like it would it be normal for government money to
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  Speaker 1: be involved in stuff like this?
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  Speaker 2: No, And I think Wanda Pacifica was a special case
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  Speaker 2: when they were stood up, you know they it was
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  Speaker 2: an idea that I think most people agreed with another
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  Speaker 2: super rugby team with path ways through to the Tongen
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  Speaker 2: and Somemuran national teams. They take part in a competition
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  Speaker 2: with all of the other New Zealand sides, so I
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  Speaker 2: think a New Zealand Rugby. New Zealand Rugby were their
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  Speaker 2: biggest backer in the first season of their existence, along
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  Speaker 2: with government money. But no, I mean you must remember
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  Speaker 2: that that they're not one of New Zealand Rugby's teams,
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  Speaker 2: you know, despite what I've just said, there are New
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  Speaker 2: Zealand players there. Ardsav the best example. But no, it
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  Speaker 2: wouldn't be common for, for example, New Zealand Rugby to
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  Speaker 2: ride and on a white horse here and save the
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  Speaker 2: franchise if it came to that.
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  Speaker 1: Right, So they're sort of on their own without and
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  Speaker 1: if this government money does dry up, it looks like
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  Speaker 1: perhaps the team what may not continue.
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: Well, I mean that's the worst case scenario. You hope
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  Speaker 2: that they find a way. There's broadcast, there's sponsorship, there's
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  Speaker 2: ticket sales, and there's obviously the owner's own funds and
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  Speaker 2: perhaps money from New Zealand Rugby and World Rugby might
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  Speaker 2: be forthcoming if it meant that the franchise could continue.
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  Speaker 2: As we know, Ryan, they had an excellent season, their
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  Speaker 2: best season, you know by it almost made the playoffs.
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: So it would be a great shame if they were
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  Speaker 2: to dissolve. But yeah, there's some thinking to do with
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  Speaker 2: As I say, these revenue streams maybe not quite what
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  Speaker 2: they were in previous years.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, hey, good on you. Thanks for coming on the
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  Speaker 1: show this morning. Good to hear you, Jason Pine, News Talks,
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  Speaker 1: he'd be week in Sports hosts with us and it's
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: twenty two minutes twenty three minutes after five on News Talks,
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: he'd be interesting. The Fiji and Drewer supported by fifteen
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: on Ireland sponsors and Super Rugby's highest merchandising sales for
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  Speaker 1: Fiji and Drawer. It is financially impossible for one of
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  Speaker 1: PACIFICA to be based in Samoa or Tonga, so basically
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  Speaker 1: their countries are too small and it just they don't
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  Speaker 1: have the infrastructure, they don't have the facilities, they don't
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  Speaker 1: have the high performance sports, so they have to be
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  Speaker 1: based here for more.
• 3:48
  Speaker 2: From Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: Talk SADB from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast
• 3:55
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