1
00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,240
Speaker 1: Super Rugby's Muana PACIFICA team is being propped up to

2
00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:09,400
Speaker 1: buy taxpayer cash to the tune of about eight million dollars. Yes, so,

3
00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:12,520
Speaker 1: through its inception and first three seasons, the team receiving

4
00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:15,440
Speaker 1: eight million dollars in New Zealand government help. About five

5
00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:19,240
Speaker 1: million were grants. Three million dollars was a Sport New

6
00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:24,560
Speaker 1: Zealand loan. First repayments of that made in March and

7
00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:29,200
Speaker 1: the rest now due. Apparently three hundred thousand dollars of

8
00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:34,080
Speaker 1: the loan has been written off already and another use

9
00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:39,040
Speaker 1: of money through Farno Order funds has come via the

10
00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:43,879
Speaker 1: PACIFICA Medical Association Group, which is a charity which is

11
00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,760
Speaker 1: the primary backer of the team. Now this money is

12
00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,760
Speaker 1: going to dry up under government changes. Jason Pine News

13
00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:51,840
Speaker 1: talks every week in Sport host with me this morning.

14
00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:55,000
Speaker 1: This is a story in the Herald. Jason, good morning, Yeah, morning, right.

15
00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:57,520
Speaker 1: What does this mean for the team.

16
00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,400
Speaker 2: Well, it can't be good news, can it. When money

17
00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,760
Speaker 2: drives up, that's never a good thing. And as you've outlined,

18
00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,280
Speaker 2: the owners of the team, PACIFICA Medical Association Group, the

19
00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,720
Speaker 2: charity that owns Winna Pacific, are going to lose that

20
00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:13,000
Speaker 2: fun to order contract. Look, not all of that money

21
00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,640
Speaker 2: obviously went to Majana Pacifica, but their funds the rugby

22
00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:19,520
Speaker 2: teams that have been bolstered significantly in the last couple

23
00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:22,960
Speaker 2: of years through that money, as well as broadcast, which

24
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:25,520
Speaker 2: we know is also going to be reduced when the

25
00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,840
Speaker 2: new Sky ideal comes out. Sponsorship's never easy to come by,

26
00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,240
Speaker 2: so there's a lot of revenue streams here, Ryan, and

27
00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:36,040
Speaker 2: none of them are increasing. So yeah, it's got to

28
00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:38,280
Speaker 2: be it's got to be furrowing the brow of those

29
00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:39,640
Speaker 2: Atana Pacifica HQ.

30
00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:43,959
Speaker 1: Absolutely. How are rugby teams cup rugby teams normally funded?

31
00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,679
Speaker 1: Like it would it be normal for government money to

32
00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:48,080
Speaker 1: be involved in stuff like this?

33
00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:52,760
Speaker 2: No, And I think Wanda Pacifica was a special case

34
00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:54,920
Speaker 2: when they were stood up, you know they it was

35
00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:58,440
Speaker 2: an idea that I think most people agreed with another

36
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,440
Speaker 2: super rugby team with path ways through to the Tongen

37
00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,400
Speaker 2: and Somemuran national teams. They take part in a competition

38
00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:07,160
Speaker 2: with all of the other New Zealand sides, so I

39
00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,240
Speaker 2: think a New Zealand Rugby. New Zealand Rugby were their

40
00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,799
Speaker 2: biggest backer in the first season of their existence, along

41
00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,519
Speaker 2: with government money. But no, I mean you must remember

42
00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:19,120
Speaker 2: that that they're not one of New Zealand Rugby's teams,

43
00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,400
Speaker 2: you know, despite what I've just said, there are New

44
00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:25,239
Speaker 2: Zealand players there. Ardsav the best example. But no, it

45
00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:28,440
Speaker 2: wouldn't be common for, for example, New Zealand Rugby to

46
00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:30,600
Speaker 2: ride and on a white horse here and save the

47
00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:32,120
Speaker 2: franchise if it came to that.

48
00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:35,639
Speaker 1: Right, So they're sort of on their own without and

49
00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:38,200
Speaker 1: if this government money does dry up, it looks like

50
00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:40,959
Speaker 1: perhaps the team what may not continue.

51
00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,560
Speaker 2: Well, I mean that's the worst case scenario. You hope

52
00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:46,440
Speaker 2: that they find a way. There's broadcast, there's sponsorship, there's

53
00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,120
Speaker 2: ticket sales, and there's obviously the owner's own funds and

54
00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,280
Speaker 2: perhaps money from New Zealand Rugby and World Rugby might

55
00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,440
Speaker 2: be forthcoming if it meant that the franchise could continue.

56
00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:58,440
Speaker 2: As we know, Ryan, they had an excellent season, their

57
00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,440
Speaker 2: best season, you know by it almost made the playoffs.

58
00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:03,520
Speaker 2: So it would be a great shame if they were

59
00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,360
Speaker 2: to dissolve. But yeah, there's some thinking to do with

60
00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,919
Speaker 2: As I say, these revenue streams maybe not quite what

61
00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:11,560
Speaker 2: they were in previous years.

62
00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:13,519
Speaker 1: Yeah, hey, good on you. Thanks for coming on the

63
00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,280
Speaker 1: show this morning. Good to hear you, Jason Pine, News Talks,

64
00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,320
Speaker 1: he'd be week in Sports hosts with us and it's

65
00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,000
Speaker 1: twenty two minutes twenty three minutes after five on News Talks,

66
00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:25,640
Speaker 1: he'd be interesting. The Fiji and Drewer supported by fifteen

67
00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:32,520
Speaker 1: on Ireland sponsors and Super Rugby's highest merchandising sales for

68
00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:36,480
Speaker 1: Fiji and Drawer. It is financially impossible for one of

69
00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,480
Speaker 1: PACIFICA to be based in Samoa or Tonga, so basically

70
00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:42,600
Speaker 1: their countries are too small and it just they don't

71
00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:44,760
Speaker 1: have the infrastructure, they don't have the facilities, they don't

72
00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:46,840
Speaker 1: have the high performance sports, so they have to be

73
00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,040
Speaker 1: based here for more.

74
00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:52,000
Speaker 2: From Early Edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live to News

75
00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:55,600
Speaker 2: Talk SADB from five am weekdays, or follow the podcast

76
00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:56,480
Speaker 2: on iHeartRadio