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News Ltd wants cash back if All Blacks skip Super 14

The All Blacks perform the ``Haka'' on Sept. 2 before the Tri-Nations rugby match against South Africa at the Royal Bafokeng stadium in Rustenburg, South Africa. PHOTO: AFP

Media giant News Ltd has put a price on the heads of top All Blacks and will demand compensation if they fail to appear in early Super 14 matches next year, it was reported in Wellington yesterday.

The Super 14 paymaster is angered by New Zealand's plans to pull 22 leading players from the first half of next year's competition so they will be in peak physical and mental shape for the World Cup campaign at the end of the year.

The Australian-headquartered media conglomerate claims the New Zealand plan breaches the Super 14 broadcasting rights deal it has with South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby (SANZAR), the Sunday Star-Times said.

New Zealand Rugby Union chairman Jock Hobbs met with exectives of the aggrieved broadcaster in Sydney last week, and was told to name the 22 World Cup contenders who will miss seven weeks of Super 14 rugby.

Once informed, News Ltd would then talk to broadcasters in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa -- plus Sky TV in Great Britain -- to discuss what News Ltd spokesman Greg Baxter described as "an acceptable compromise."

Baxter said that would probably involve negotiating a discount on the NZ$660 million (US$418) contract SANZAR signed with News Ltd in 2004.

"I think so, because clearly there is a value attached to these players. If there wasn't they would not be resting them," the newspaper quoted him as saying.
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