A special general meeting of New Zealand Rugby in Auckland has voted in favour of a NZ$200m private equity investment from US firm Silver Lake, the final step in the approval process for the groundbreaking deal.
NZR, whose finances have been buffeted by the Covid-19 pandemic, feel they need the cash injection to keep pace with northern hemisphere rugby powers and to reinvigorate the grass roots of the game.“This is a transformational moment for rugby in [New Zealand] at every level of the game and will enable us to move forward, change, and take advantage of the massive opportunities in front of us,” NZR chair Stewart Mitchell said.
Silver Lake, which has more than $88bn in assets, is one of the largest technology investors in the world. Previous investments in the sports market include stakes in City Football Group, the UFC and Madison Square Garden Sports, which owns the NBA’s New York Knicks and the NHL’s New York Rangers. That deal was rejected by the players’ union , which approved the new offering in February after being promised a seat on the board of the new entity.
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