NZ Rugby receives colossal offer from US tech giants

New Zealand Rugby have an enormous offer on their table at present after American tech company, Silver Lake, have requested a 15% share of commercial rights, according to The Herald.

The deal is valued at $465 million and, should it be accepted, will be the largest one in the game’s 25 year professional history.

New Zealand Rugby and Silver Lake have been meeting since last May and it is understood that, in order for the deal to follow through, consent is required from the various New Zealand provincial unions.

New Zealand Rugby executives are currently embarking on a “road show” campaign in which they will visit all the unions and pitch to them the details of the proposed deal.

Silver Lake is a company already associated with a number of top sporting teams, including the UFC, Madison Square Garden Company, the New York Knicks, New York Rangers and Manchester City. The company’s asset worth numbers around US$40 billion while its portfolio spawns an annual revenue of around $200 billion.

As there are some voices sceptical about the concept, senior NZ Rugby officials have stressed that the All Blacks are not being sold and that the deal should rather be looked at as a huge opportunity and recognition of the team’s esteemed 130 year history.