Crusaders CEO on COVID, Australian rugby and the short and long term future of Super Rugby
COVID-19 has disrupted sport globally like very few crises before it and no organisation, no matter how successful is exempt.
The Crusaders had lost just one of their opening six Super Rugby matches earlier this year and were on track to possibly add an 11th title to a trophy cabinet in Canterbury that must surely be running out of room.
But COVID-19 changed all of that and the Crusaders, like the rest of us, are doing their best to make it through.
“It’s been a challenging period, that’s for sure,” CEO Colin Mansbridge told Rugby News from his home office in Christchurch.
“We’ve got a very quality management team here and they’ve done very well to keep the players and our community engaged through all of this, but it hasn’t been easy.”
After an early hiccup that saw several Crusaders players condemned for breaking strict lockdown rules by kicking a ball around at a local park, Mansbridge said he was pleased with how the organisation has handled