Tasman boss slams payments

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Some New Zealand provincial unions are offering inflated payments to lure Air New Zealand Cup players, Tasman Rugby Union chairman Nick Patterson charged yesterday.

He did not name any names but said payments being dangled before players were "out of whack" with the overall thrust to ensure a more financially sustainable competition.

Patterson said the Tasman Makos had already signed former All Blacks forwards Chris Jack and Ben Franks and hoped to retain most of their players after the New Zealand Rugby Union's decision to retain a 14-team first division next year.

"Our players, almost to a man, have been saying to us all along that they want to continue to be Makos and continue to play at the highest level," he said.

"But unfortunately it does seem other unions out there are looking around and moving to contract players by paying what is, in my opinion, silly money."

Patterson said the inflated offers seemed to be "a little bit out of whack" considering the drive to lower salary caps and player payments.

"There are some out there carrying on as if it's business as usual. I find that rather frustrating and not in the best interests of everyone in the game."

Patterson said Tasman would build their team around Jack and Franks and "our other existing players".

The Makos have already lost captain Andrew Goodman to Japan.

Makos coach Bevan Cadwallader said midfield back Goodman, who has a one-season contract with Honda Heat, was "a great Makos man" and had agonised over his decision. But it was "commercial reality", especially given the uncertainty over the Makos' first-division future. "A lot of players go to Japan because they get paid a hell of lot more than they can make in New Zealand, even on a Super 14 contract."

Cadwallader was aware other Makos players had been waiting until the outcome of the NZRU decision before deciding their immediate playing future and said the board had been "pretty active in working with player agents and talking to the players".

Canterbury Rugby Football Union chief executive Hamish Riach agreed that the player payments must be "affordable and sustainable".

- © Fairfax NZ News