All Blacks threaten boycott of 2015 Rugby World Cup

TOAST without butter. Romeo without Juliet. A Rugby World Cup without the All Blacks. This nightmare prospect has been raised by New Zealand rugby's chief executive Steve Tew, who has revealed that "the prospects of us going to England in 2015 under the current model are very slim".

In a frank interview with Radio New Zealand, Tew claimed that competing in the World Cup will cost his union almost NZ$13m (£6.5m) and makes "no sense".

The tournament has forced them to curtail the lucrative tri-nations series and forbids association with sponsors. Tew called on the International Rugby Board to conduct an "urgent review" of the business model.

The IRB responded swiftly, claiming that a review was already planned for after the current tournament taking place in New Zealand. "The IRB is committed to working with member Unions to ensure that it continues to balance the strategic needs of unions with the ability to provide the IRB with the financial platform for development", its statement read.

The IRB claims an 18 per cent jump in rugby participation since the last World Cup, and points out the sport's showpiece event has less tangible benefits.

"The World Cup plays a critical role in the development and profile of rugby worldwide," a spokesman said.

However, the World Cup is also likely to make a loss. Chief executive Martin Snedden said last year that the tournament was likely to end up costing the organisers around NZ$35m, a figure that still stands despite the high levels of interest in New Zealand.

Reuters has little sympathy for the All Blacks, suggesting that losing short-term profits for the overall development of the sport is "a reasonable price to pay for the richest and most dominant unions in a sport that has always been dominated by a tiny handful of nations".

In an indication that this rift is unlikely to close anytime soon, the Australian Rugby Union has come out in support of their neighbours. "The current economic model is unsustainable and unacceptable," ARU boss John O'Neill said. ·