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NZRU silenced and sidelined Henry critic
By GREG FORD - Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 30 March 2008
NZRU silenced and sidelined Henry critic - Rugby news & coverage - Stuff.co.nz
The drama over Graham Henry's reappointment as All Blacks coach took another twist with confirmation yesterday John Sturgeon tendered his resignation as New Zealand Rugby Union vice-president after suffering the full fury of a board backlash for publicly questioning Henry's coaching ability.
The straight-shooting West Coaster quit after he was castigated by the NZRU board for suggesting Henry's days were numbered, just before the position was thrown open.
Sturgeon was talked into retracting his resignation but only after the coaching candidates were interviewed. Normally, Sturgeon would have been on that panel.
Speaking publicly without the approval of the board is a breach of protocol so Sturgeon resigned, thus surrendering his position on the interview panel.
Henry was reappointed a few weeks later in a controversial choice.
Many believed that, because the board had endorsed many of Henry's world cup plans, they were unable to make an impartial decision - something they denied.
With the NZRU trying to close ranks after the disastrous world cup, Sturgeon's resignation would have re-opened all the wounds.
Sturgeon confided to only a few close friends that he'd resigned. After entreaties from NZRU chairman Jock Hobbs, Sturgeon agreed to fly to Auckland in mid-December for a board meeting and made what Hobbs described yesterday as, a "full and frank" apology.
The board duly accepted his apology and tore up his letter of resignation, clearing the way for him to resume his duties of vice-president, a position that holds no voting rights but requires attendance at board meetings.
As a former All Blacks manager (1988-1991) and NZRU councillor (1987-1995), he was, until his resignation, one of the few members of the interview panel with any direct involvement in a world cup campaign. Sturgeon's opinions hold considerable gravitas in rugby circles.
Hobbs said if Sturgeon had been able to take his position on the interview panel his public comments would have "tainted" the appointment process.
"And that would have applied to anyone on the board who had expressed an opinion on the process prior to it getting under way," he said.
Hobbs felt his own presence on the panel was compromised. He declared a conflict of interest due to his close relationship with Deans and made his stance public.
However, yesterday he rejected a suggestion that the reasons for Sturgeon's stand-down should also have been made public then.
"We were not trying to keep it a secret. We were not trying to shove it under the carpet," he said.
"It was an issue. It was resolved and if the conclusion had been that he'd left the office we would have made anannouncement then."
The Sunday Star-Times first approached Sturgeon about this story two months ago. He declined to comment then and did so again yesterday. However, last year it was a different story when in the Sunday News he launched a scathing attack on Henry and his assistants Steve Hansen and Wayne Smith.
"There were too bloody many [coaches at the world cup]," he said then. He added: "Robbie Deans is a hands-on man. That's what I like about him. He does it. He doesn't have an entourage of 10,000."
He also indicated Henry's time was up: "Do I think four years is long enough? My answer to that would be 'yes'. If you wanted to know the reason, it would be to give other [coaches] in the tube an opportunity to pop out the end.
"And it would also give players who have been left behind or who are not too sure, it would give them an opportunity to get their name in the new book ...
"Four years is long enough for a guy to prove himself."
Hobbs said Sturgeon had agreed to speak publicly with the permission of the board.
"It was a very serious breach of board protocol and as a result of that John tendered his resignation. But he has our full confidence that he can serve the role of vice-president."
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