‘Not the saviour’: Hurricanes boss Avan Lee no fan of draft for Super Rugby

Avan Lee doesn’t believe introducing a player draft is the best way to add a much-needed shot of adrenaline to Super Rugby Pacific.

Hurricanes chief executive Lee was wary of the radical idea recently raised by Rugby Australia chair Hamish McLennan, which has since been supported by former All Blacks coaches Sir Graham Henry and Sir Steve Hansen.

Instead Lee would prefer NZ Rugby and Rugby Australia focus on setting up an independent commission to promote the competition.

“There is merit in exploring it, but I am probably a little bit sceptical,” Lee says in reference to a draft.

“I don’t think the draft is the silver bullet … I don’t think it’s the saviour.”

McLennan reckons a draft could improve the performances of the Australian teams which had only one team, the Brumbies, in the semifinals last weekend.

He says New Zealand players could bolster the Aussie sides, which would also generate more interest in SRP on both sides on the Tasman. But the draft has received a mixed response in New Zealand: Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan was the first coach to say he wasn’t in favour.

NZ Rugby’s general manager professional rugby and performance Chris Lendrum didn’t dismiss the concept but he, like Lee, wasn’t twisting somersaults when he spoke to media this week.

Lendrum said there was “a lot of legal complexity” in terms of having a set of laws that apply to the competition across NZ, Australia and Fiji.

“I think Chris was right in terms of the layers around it,” Lee agreed. “It is quite complex. I did have a little chuckle to myself, because I think when Graham was coaching the Blues and Steve was at the Crusaders (as an assistant coach), I doubt they would like a draft in those days because they would want to keep all their players.”

Lee believed a draft would require transfer fees. And because the Hurricanes and Blues catchments produce the most players he said they, and the provincial unions within their catchments, would have to be compensated.

Paying the provinces was important because they started the task of shaping young men into professionals.

“The key point is – is there an acknowledgement of a transfer fee, something to cover the development of those players?” Lee added.

“It couldn’t be a free-for-all. The other aspect, for me, is I know drafts are massive in other sports, but you have to put yourself in that young person’s shoes.

“If they have grown-up all their life in Dunedin, and they are going to Brisbane or Auckland or whatever. Are we happy to send players wherever they fit? How does that work?”

While the final between the Chiefs and Crusaders in Hamilton on Saturday night will be a sell-out, the sight of half-empty grounds in New Zealand and Australia has been common this year.

SRP has grown in popularity for off-site audiences, Lendrum said there has been a 28% increase on Sky Sport Now and for Prime free-to-air games. Getting fans to fill the stadiums, however, continues to be difficult.

NZ Rugby and Rugby Australia, meanwhile, have yet to set up a commission for SRP. NZ Rugby CEO Mark Robinson says he wants the deal done, while McLennan, who it’s understood at one point to have wanted ex-Wallaby Justin Harrison to be the commission boss, appears in no rush.

The franchises, meanwhile, are the biggest losers.

“It is very frustrating,” Lee said. “We would dearly love to have something independent, a really strong board, and a really strong CEO to lead the competition. To lead conversations around broadcasting, fan engagement and innovation.

“We desperately need that. Look at all the major competitions around the world, it is just the standard for what they have.

“We need to have people waking up every day, thinking about Super Rugby. We just don’t have that.”