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New Zealand Rugby chair Dame Patsy Reddy has confirmed she will resign if agreement cannot be reached with the provincial unions over the prolonged independent governance standoff.

Reddy remains hopeful NZ Rugby’s latest transitional model to achieve an independent nine-person board will bridge the impasse. But if the provincial unions hold firm in their position to maintain at least three members on the NZ Rugby board with two years of provincial board experience, Reddy confirmed she will no longer continue in the chair position.

The Herald on Wednesday revealed the former Governor-General made this position clear to the provincial unions last Friday.

“For my part I have been open right from the beginning. We’ve got a thorough, well-considered review that’s given us the way forward,” Reddy told the Herald.

“I’m committed to delivering that independent model of governance but I’m not a voting member. All I can do is give my views, and work hard to explain them.

“We’ve spent a lot of time with the provincial unions seeking to co-design the way forward. We’ve reached this position where the provincial unions have a different perspective on board representation and I felt I had to be open with them and say if that proposal was brought forward and ultimately successful that I would not be able to work with it because I don’t believe in it.

“It was not me threatening it was me letting them know that was not something I can support.

“This is the fifth governance review New Zealand Rugby has had since 2012. Why has there been so many? Because the implementation of those reviews have only ever achieved incremental change. The outcome is it’s never been enough. No one is comfortable with where we are. Everybody agreed there needed to be change. It’s all about how we deliver that.”

New Zealand Rugby Board Chair Dame Patsy Reddy. Photo / Photsport

NZ Rugby released its latest transitional proposal - that includes the need to include gender and ethnic diversity - to alter the board structure on Wednesday morning. The Herald understands it does not have unanimous board support following a 7-2 vote in favour of the change.

• NZR chair threatens resignation over Governance standoff

“The board agreed unanimously we should put this proposal forward for consideration. I perhaps didn’t make that clear enough on my Zoom call with the provincial unions so I did clarify that,” Reddy said.

“We have a majority view on the board that we should implement the transitional model but I won’t comment any further than that.”

Seven months after former Fonterra executive David Pilkington, former All Blacks captain Graham Mourie, and experienced directors Anne Urlwin and Whaimutu Dewes delivered the review that stated NZ Rugby’s constitution and governance was not fit for purpose, and stressed the need for a nine-person independent board, Reddy remains hoping a resolution can be reached.

Taranaki celebrate after winning the NPC final. Photo / Photosport

“We’ve got this marvellous blueprint; a review that was hard-hitting. It challenged and addressed a lot of the sacred cows in rugby and gave us a clear pathway. We’ve got a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the leadership structure and we should seize it with both hands but do it in a transitional way to make sure we bring everybody with us.

“Understanding the community game and the issues confronting the provincial unions is really important but so, too, are the issues right across the game.

“Having at least three people who can’t be considered unless they’ve got provincial union governance experience that’s an artificial hurdle and it’s not true to the spirit of an independent board.

“The provincial unions model gets us a long way towards those recommendations but it doesn’t get us far enough. It’s time we had a board that reflects our diverse backgrounds. Everything has changed so much.

“For 135 years we’ve been world-leading and we need to stay ahead of the game to ensure in this rapidly changing world we’ve got our rugby leadership that is suitable to strengthen our connections globally and with our communities.”

The latest NZ Rugby proposal includes a transitional five-person appointment panel that would remain in place until next year.

“Those people are not hard to find. Bill Osborne, Therese Walsh, Sir Brian Roche, Mike Eagle. There’s any number but it’s not for me to simply impose a model. I’d like to work with the provincial unions and come up with that transitional panel.

“It gives us a bit more time and space to implement the review. That’s what I’m keen to work towards.”

At this point the provincial unions intend to pit their proposal against NZ Rugby’s at a Special General Meeting vote – a situation that could leave Patsy Reddy on the verge of resigning.

Despite the messy ongoing standoff, NZ Rugby’s first female chair hopes the saga will not drag on.

“I hope it’s sorted as soon as possible. Everyone has put in a lot of energy into getting this change. I don’t want to put something forward that won’t get supported so we’re taking a bit of time now to get feedback until we set a date but I don’t think it’s going to be months away.”

Liam Napier has been a sports journalist since 2010, and his work has taken him to World Cups in rugby, netball and cricket, boxing world title fights and Commonwealth Games.