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Written by Site Admin
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Thursday, 25 May 2006 |
 Manawatu rugby will not have a long professional life if it relies on its underwriters to make up the financial leeway.
Union chief executive Hadyn Smith revealed $1.6 million is needed to cover each year's team operations.
So far it has raised about $1 million and the 16 underwriters will have to make up the difference if more is not raised.
"The future relies on true sponsorship, not underwriters," said Smith.
"If after three years we do rely on them, we won't have a team."
The underwriters were secured last year so Manawatu could make its premier bid in lieu of sponsors which other division-one unions already had in hand.
So far the Manawatu Rugby Union has an overall operational shortfall of $300,000. The union is trimming its budgets and last week cancelled the rep team's two-match pre-NPC tour to Fiji, saving $75,000.
The union wants more commercial backing to avoid dipping into its reserves.
"If we don't secure sponsorship, it will eat into our bottom line," said Smith.
"We have to be fiscally prudent."
Following the demise of the Central Vikings in 1998, the union's reserves dried up.
Manawatu put away $300,000 in reserve from the $605,720 grant it received from the New Zealand Rugby Union in September.
"The prudent thing for us was to have reserves for when a rainy day came along."
He doesn't want a rainy one in its first year in the premier division.
Deadlines are getting tight now because most of the key sponsorship items have been sold, such as the representative jersey.
He said there's no point in tapping into the same companies which continually dole out money because of their community spirit.
"The same names keep coming up. Those deeply rooted have done a lot.
"Some people you expected to get behind sporting ventures in this town don't seem to want to, for whatever reason."
He is disturbed some firms which get so much out of the Manawatu community don't put anything back.
Smith cited organisations in banking, investment and development which have pretty much done nothing.
The $1.6 million required to fund the semi-professional team amounts to about one third of the union's annual turnover.
A similar amount is spent on the amateur side of the game but last year the division two team cost only $200,000.
Smith said many potential backers want to get behind a team with a track record.
"Everyone is looking for the golden goose in advance. We're looking for the bottom-placed team to move up the ladder."
Smith claimed there was greater potential in a team like Manawatu's to be a Cinderella than in an established side.
Not until June 2 last year did Manawatu discover it was out of the quagmire which was the second division.
"How many would have said we'd be in a professional competition?"
The Manawatu board is pitching itself as being similar to Perth's new Super 14 franchise, the Western Force - satisfied to knock off the odd team and be able to compete.
"We are trying to sell that to people who want bangs for their bucks in the first year. The Western Force said they'd lose in the first year but asked supporters to get behind the team.
"For the first game, I would like to think people will come along as a matter of interest and judge us from that first game.
"The team which runs on the field will bear no resemblance to the team which played last year."
Nine of last year's second-division team were among the 27 named in the first Manawatu squad on Sunday.
There are risks, such as bad weather and if the team isn't competitive. The union has budgeted for attendances of 5000 at each of the premier division home games, which is more than Manawatu has had for years.
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