All Blacks hooker Dane Coles is ruling out player strikes as an option as the standoff between the players and New Zealand Rugby over the sale of part of the game's commercial arm drags on.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand Rugby has offered to meet with the Players' Association so it can outline its Forsyth Barr proposal for a public share float.
NZR and the Players' Association are at loggerheads over the Silver Lake deal whereby NZR intends selling a 12.5 percent of its commercial rights to the US private equity for $387 million.
New Zealand investment company Forsyth Barr has suggested the sale of 5 percent stake in NZR's revenue generating assets through through an NZX-listed entity to the New Zealand public and institutions (NZ Inc IPO).
Former All Blacks captain David Kirk, the Players Association president told RNZ this week that some players had advised the Players Association they would not want to play in New Zealand if the Silver Lake deal went ahead.
Coles is hopeful it won't come to that.
"Both parties wouldn't want to see the players go on strike and I suppose there has been a bit of controversey in the media, but I think it's important both parties sit down (to talk).
"I think Shag (former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen) said it best about airing dirty laundry in public, and it should be in the meeting room where we can make the relationship a bit better because it's going down the wrong path and as players we just want to be playing footy and not worrying too much about that stuff."
Coles believes it's important that New Zealand Rugby does look at the proposal the Players Association has come up with.
"When a decision has to be made we'll sit down and take what comes with no pressure."
The veteran hooker says the players fully back the Players Association.
"A hundred percent, that's why the Players Association was invented to represent their players."
"It's a big deal and you can see there's a bit of tension but that's just part of it and I'm sure they'll get on the same page and be grownups about it and have a yarn so all good."
On Thursday the country's 26 provincial unions reaffirmed their committment to New Zealand Rugby's deal with US private equity firm Silver Lake.
"The Provincial Unions have been supportive of NZR exploring all options to ensure the games long term financial viability, including an Initial Public Offering (IPO) option," said chair of Auckland Rugby Stu Mather.