Veteran sports commentator Ken Laban says NRL Rugby League is running rings around Super Rugby as a showcase sport – and New Zealand Rugby needs to get its act together – especially with Māori.
Ken Laban says both codes have already featured exciting on-field games this season – but the tribalism of league teams means more passionate fans and bigger regular crowds.
He says Rugby NZ relies on what it sees as the power and history of rugby.
“Which is older than rugby league, and established as the national game, and per head has had more Maori participation in rugby than any other sport. But where have we seen the connection, any form of connection, between iwi, hapu, marae, whakapapa connections,” he says.
Mr Laban says if Rugby New Zealand was smart it would look to work with an organisation like Te Matatini, which is now a massive organisation in its own right.
- Waatea News