The Kiwis "continue to be a big revenue earner for the New Zealand Rugby League," according to David Long of STUFF. New Zealand Rugby League has been able to put aside NZ$300,000 ($215,000) to go toward the NZ$1.1M ($790,000) it needs "to make it through next year's Rugby League World Cup."
The national body announced a surplus of NZ$342,000 ($245,000) for its '15-16 financial year on Wednesday, a significant turnaround from the NZ$32,000 deficit the previous year.
However, as the Kiwis "will play in the World Cup late next year, it will need to build up a significant war chest before then." NZRL interim CEO Alex Hayton: "From the calculations we've done, we think we need about NZ$1.1 million." The Kiwis "are a significant revenue earner for the NZRL," bringing in NZ$2M ($1.4M), but with the World Cup in '17, there is "not the opportunity for them to go on an end of season tour." Hayton: "We're in an unusual position. ... When it comes to World Cup, other teams' costs are quite minimal, but we have professional players, so we have payments, insurance obligations and other things we have to take care of, but we don't have the professional league to support us" (STUFF, 6/22).
