For the fifth consecutive year the Tasman Rugby Union have announced a profit - albeit a modest surplus.
At the union’s annual general meeting in Nelson last night a $69,249 surplus after depreciation from the 2017 season was declared, well down on the budgeted surplus of around $116,230.
Tasman board member Tony Woodall, left, congratulates new life member Shane Drummond. Photo: supplied.
Total revenue fell 6.1 percent to $3.91 million but balancing this was the fact that total expenditure was reduced by 4.6 percent to $3.85 million.
Tasman RU chief executive Tony Lewis said it had been a "challenging” year financially, citing a 41 percent drop in ticket revenue as a major contributing factor.
He suggested several factors were to blame for the decrease in ticketing income, including bad weather which impacted the Auckland match, the timing of some other key games and the fact Tasman were unable to regularly use their high-profile All Blacks.
However, Lewis said it was not so long ago that Tasman would have been happy to declare a surplus of $69,249. "We are dealing in a difficult market, sponsorship was down, commercial revenue was down 8.5 percent, ticketing was down … they are big holes to fill.”
He said the union had moved to address the issues. "We have shifted the Canterbury game this year to Blenheim … we will have two consecutive matches in Blenheim, a festival of rugby in that late August window.
"Obviously we have the All Blacks test in Nelson this year which we are hoping will benefit the bottom line, and we are just running really tight budgets across the board.”
Also announced at last night’s AGM was the awarding of a life membership to Shane Drummond, the Nelson businessman joining fellow life members Max Spence and Kieran Keane in that honorary role.
Drummond has been associated with Tasman rugby since the union’s formative years, being part of the initial working group who set up the joint venture.
The former Nelson Bays stalwart was a TRU director from 2006-2012, vice president 2012-13, and president 2014-15. He now sits on the Highlanders board.
Board member Tony Woodall said at the AGM, "Shane’s enthusiasm and commitment to the Tasman Rugby Union is beyond question and a crucial aspect to the success and sustainability of the union.”
Another key player in the Tasman success story, Marlborough’s Ramon Sutherland, was also honoured at the meeting, becoming the union’s new president and the first to be elected by the board.
Sutherland gave what Lewis described as "a rousing speech” in response to his appointment. "I felt like I was in the [Marlborough] changing rooms about to play Canterbury in 1973, it was that good,” added Lewis.
Sutherland acknowledged that it was not an unchallenging ride initially, but for him it was always about increased opportunities for the players and spectators to be alongside a higher quality of rugby.
Sutherland replaces Marlborough’s John Tapp as president after a two-year term, Wayne Young moves into the chairman’s role, in place of Ken Beams, while Scott Gibbons, George Millar, Scott Ford, Tony Healey, Beams and Woodall form the remainder of the TRU board.
A moment’s silence was observed at the AGM in memory of Bevan Moody, Gary Cullen, Jimmy Aldridge and Carl Thelin.