David Moffett: former NZ Rugby chief executive on France declining playing tests against the All Blacks in the US

France has reportedly decided it’s not in their best interest to take a test against the All Blacks in the United States next year.

Last week, it was revealed NZR was considering moving an All Blacks home test against France next year to the US as a potential test double-header with England and the USA Eagles.

However,  French Rugby Federation president Florian Grill today revealed that all three tests of the July tour will be played in New Zealand.

Former NZ Rugby chief executive David Moffett says there's not much of an audience in the US for rugby anyway.

"The fact that France don't want to go to America has obviously killed that - and I'm not at all concerned that they have, to be perfectly honest."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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So choose Airpoints as your rewards and start earning today
with everyday rewards and airpoints. So let's talk rugby. France
has reportedly declined New Zealand Rugby's request to play excuse me,

(01:04):
to play the third of three tests against France in
the United States rather than in New Zealand. So we're
talking two tests in New Zealand and then the India.
Ar if you said right, well, then we'll do one
in America. France said no. A French newspaper says the
French rugby union don't want to have the July Test
in the US because they're concerned about the actor we'll

(01:24):
have on their players' health, which sounds like a very
French and bizarre excuse. This is a blow for Insida,
who we're hoping to make more money having the test offshore.
So I've got former NZR chief executive David Moffatt with
me right now.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
How the David good Andrew?

Speaker 1 (01:39):
So why why why were we having the game in
America anyway against France.

Speaker 2 (01:44):
Oh, it'll just be for money, nothing else. It's certainly
not going to be for the fans.

Speaker 1 (01:50):
Well, the the money, so the fan okay, okay, So
the fans are in New Zealand and they're in France.
Are there fans who were wanting New Zealand France in
America anyway that market exists?

Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, well, the last time I looked at the All
Blacks were our national team and they don't play many
games here and they should be playing all the games
that they can play here, and that includes a three
test series against France. The fact that France don't want
to go to America has obviously killed that and I'm
not at all concerned that they have to be perfect

(02:22):
honest with you. I think the last people the end
is that this current New Zealand rugby union thinks about it.
The fans. They don't understand The fans play for everything.
I mean, you know, for everything. They just pay for everything,
and they don't understand it and they're not concerned about it.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
Is this anything to do with silver Lake, you know,
the American connection.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
Well, they could well have something to do with it.
When they announced a silver Lake deal, I suggested that
people should be should get used to the fact that
will be more test matches played overseas, including some of
our domestic test matches, and that's what's happening silver Lake.
I don't think I haven't seen any benefits from it,

(03:03):
and they're just looking at extra ways of earning money.
And if that's what they want to do, go for it.
Forget about your fans back here in New Zealand who
have supported this team for well over one hundred years
and they deserve to be thought of and they're not
by this mod.

Speaker 1 (03:17):
Well, the French side that's coming to New zeal is
not going to be good because you know, the clubs
are not not letting go the players, and so that
the tour will be a little bit of a phizzit anyway,
And don't you think.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Well, it could possibly be. But see, the difference is
that the clubs have a big say in French rugby
and it seems to me that they're getting an even
bigger say because they don't want their players. You know,
they're not centrally contracted like in New Zealand rugby. So
they're saying, we don't want our players to be playing
a full club season, which in France lasts until about

(03:51):
June normally. They don't want them hopping on airplanes and
coming over here, playing three test matches and then going
back and going straight back into training for their clubs.
Because in France the clubs are more important than the
national team.

Speaker 1 (04:06):
True enough, David Moffett, thank you so much for your expertise.
I know the Dazi water grape. When we were talking
about this earlier, said look, yeah, play there all three
games in New Zealand. And if you're going to play
the third one, instead of doing it in America, why
don't you do it in a regional town that hasn't
had the game for a while. And he said Yarrow
Stadium or Trafalgar Park And I thought that's a great idea.

Speaker 2 (04:25):
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