The collapse of the Hawks Franchise is a major blow to basketball, sport and the region.
How could a team that has been at the very top of the field for the past five years be left wallowing in debt and an uncertain future? The team has wonderful players, a great coach and has been enjoyed by thousands of people.
It is simple really. It hasn’t been able to raise enough money to keep the business together. There are, no doubt, significant questions around this aspect, but this is not the first time this has happened to the Hawks.
Former Hawks Boss, Jeremy Bayliss, once before rescued the ashes while some businesses paid off former debt. Jeremy was once again called in this time, but is unable to put a deal together unless somebody can put together $100k to fund previous debt. The people who are owed this money are local businesses who have provided services, including travel.
The difficulty in operating businesses in the sports arena should not be underestimated. It involves a complex mix of sponsorship, ticket sales and usually gaming trust support. The success of this mix always involves the success of the team on the court or the field.
Hawke's Bay Rugby struggled for years until a few people had a vision to transform the game to the next level, and look at the result. We have a highly successful team with very popular public support and, I am sure, a very solid balance sheet.
This is what makes the Hawks demise such a tragedy. It had all the other ingredients yet those responsible for it s financial management could not address the ongoing costs. Worse, as I understand it, nobody in the know actually informed the key sponsors and supporters of the looming problems until it was too late.
In my discussions in the past few days it appears there is a viable way for the franchise to continue, but dealing with the former debts is a problem. As the Chairman of the Pettigrew.Green Arena, I am bitterly disappointed that one of our flagship users has fallen over. The success of the team has put the Arena and the region on the map.
We must do better in the region. When we have success, we must look after it. If there are problems they must be shared so a solution can be found.
Those are my thoughts for the week.
I’m Lawrence Yule.
