All Black sale day is upon us!
PLUS: GIB has a cheek, the Black Caps in England, Superstar DJ's turnaround, lawn bowlers on the turps and Midweek Book Club.
New Zealand’s provincial and Maori unions meet tomorrow to ratify or nix the proposed private equity deal with Silver Lake, which will see the US private equity giants buy between 5.7 and 8.6 percent of New Zealand Rugby’s commercial interests - which will be bundled into the newly formed CommLP - for around $200 million.
It’s been a long and laborious process, exactly like it should be.
Auckland Rugby has been the most lukewarm on the deal, not so much due to the minutiae of the numbers but due to concern over the processes for appointments to the board of CommLP. NZR gets four spots, two are independents. One of the spots is reserved for CEO Mark Robinson. It is understood that ARU wanted more clarity around how those appointments would be determined and NZR chair Stewart Mitchell has evidently provided them.
The jungle drums suggest the names Bailey Mackey and Nicola O’Rourke are in the mix for the new board, which will be described as interim while a chairman is appointed.