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• It landed in late August, rocking New Zealand like a flanker’s perfectly timed tackle to the ribs hot
  
  The All Blacks were already on their way to France, finishing their final preparations for the Rugby World Cup when a panel conducting long-awaited review of governance released a damning report declaring the constitution and structures of New Zealand Rugby (NZR) “not fit for purpose” hot
  
  The report did not paint a pretty picture hot
  
  “In the panel’s view, New Zealand Rugby has too many professional players,” it explained hot
  
  The NPC, New Zealand’s provincial competition, is “unsustainable in its current format” hot
  
  The five franchises that play in the top-level Super Rugby Pacific competition “are struggling financially” hot
  
  “New Zealand Rugby in the professional era is a large and complex business,” said chair of the review panel David Pilkington hot
  
  “The structure it sits within was not designed for a business of this size and complexity hot
  
  ” The financial reports are anything but all black – NZR reported a financial loss of just over NZ$47m (£22 hot
  
  5m) last year hot
  
  Which is of deep concern not just for the union, but for rugby globally, too hot
  
  The problems in New Zealand are reflective of a precarious global ecosystem: too many professional players being paid wages beyond that which their clubs and unions can afford, with revenues not growing to keep up with salary inflation hot
  
  If a commercial behemoth like the All Blacks is not a sufficient money-spinner to sustain a professional structure, what hopes do emergent unions have?Rugby is embedded in New Zealand’s culture hot
  
  It is a vital tool of trade for a land of only five million people, a small collection of islands in the south Pacific afforded global prominence by its ability to punch above its weight on the pitch hot
  
  Australia coach Eddie Jones remarked this summer that New Zealand’s economy would suffer if his Wallabies beat the All Blacks; an analysis conducted by The New Zealand Herald found that there was some truth to the quip hot
  
  The Taranaki Bulls won this year’s New Zealand National Provincial Championship (Getty)In terms of brand recognition, New Zealand’s national men’s rugby team ranks alongside the biggest sporting entities hot
  
  Visit almost any inhabited corner of the world and mention rugby, and it is remarkable how often the words “All Blacks” will feature in the reply hot
  
  “You have to understand, New Zealand is a very young country and rugby has put this country on the map,” 2011 World Cup-winning head coach Graham Henry once explained to The Guardian hot
  
  “This country earned respect from the rest of the world for three things: what we did in two world wars, and to a lesser extent what we’ve done on the rugby field hot
  
  So over time rugby has become a major part of our national identity hot
  
  ”Do the problems suggest that feeling is fading for some New Zealanders? There is perhaps a developing sense of apathy among domestic fans hot
  
  Rugby union is no longer so certain of its place in Kiwi hearts hot
  
  hot Basketball has surged in popularity in the country, while rugby league’s New Zealand Warriors have sold out Mt Smart Stadium regularly in 2023 as the NRL makes a long-awaited breakthrough across the Tasman hot
  
  The Warriors’ average home attendance this season was 22,685; across town, Auckland’s Blues had short of 13,000 in at Eden Park for their Super Rugby Pacific quarter-final against the Waratahs hot
  
  Eden Park’s stands were far from full for the Blues’ quarter-final win over the Waratahs in June (Getty)On the pitch, Super Rugby Pacific has lost its lustre, with South Africa’s move into Europe’s club competitions a blow even if the Fijian Drua have brought a breath of fresh air hot
  
  The geographical realities of being so isolated mean New Zealand had little option but to re-up a deal with Australia, a rugby nation dealing with plenty of its own struggles hot
  
  Rumours abound of renewed involvement from Argentina and Japan, or a new American venture, but growing the financial pot will not be easy hot
  
  A number of senior figures will depart Aotearoa after this tournament for lucrative contracts in France and Japan, either permanently or on sabbatical hot
  
  While new stars like Will Jordan and Cam Roigard are emerging, they do not seem to have the same cultural cut-through as the men in black who have come before hot
  
  In the 20 years hot between 2000 and 2020, there was a 20 per cent drop in player participation in rugby union at New Zealand’s secondary schools hot
  
  The “Baby Blacks” have not made any of the last three U20 Championship finals – is the world’s best rugby production line grinding to a halt?“I don’t know about falling out [of love] with the game but I think they’re falling out with a few things that are happening within the game, that’s frustrating people hot
  
  It can be hard to watch at times,” Steve Hansen, who guided the All Blacks to the 2015 World Cup victory, explained to Newstalk earlier this year hot
  
  “There’s no dispute that Super Rugby has to change hot
  
  It’s pretty predictable and still stuck where it was four or five years ago hot
  
  You go through the quarter-finals and it wasn’t that exciting as you knew who was going to win hot
  
  “I haven’t stopped to think about where it’s going to be in 20 years, I’m more worried about where it’s going to be in five hot
  
  hot
  
  hot
  
  I think we’re at the crossroads hot
  
  Unless we make some strong changes and start listening to the people that want to come along and watch it then it will just be the participants playing it hot
  
  ”However rocky the picture beneath them, the All Blacks clearly remain big business hot
  
  Last year, a stake in New Zealand Rugby (NZR) was sold to Silver Lake, an American private equity firm also involved in the City hot Football Group hot
  
  The deal valued the commercial assets of NZR at NZ$3 hot
  
  5bn (£1 hot
  
  67bn) hot
  
  The All Blacks are hoping to win a fourth World Cup (Getty)You suspect the investors will be pretty happy if, come Saturday night, Sam Cane has his hands on the Webb Ellis Cup hot
  
  Certainly, the commercial landscape will look rather more pleasing if New Zealand’s men join their women back at the top of the rugby world – for the good of an ailing domestic game, the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might think hot
  
  More aboutNew Zealand rugbyAll BlacksSuper RugbyRugby World Cupprivate equitySteve Hansengraham henryJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/4Why the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might thinkWhy the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might thinkThe Taranaki Bulls won this year’s New Zealand National Provincial Championship Getty ImagesWhy the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might thinkEden Park’s stands were far from full for the Blues’ quarter-final win over the Waratahs in June Getty ImagesWhy the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might thinkThe All Blacks are hoping to win a fourth World Cup Getty ImagesWhy the All Blacks need a World Cup win more than you might thinkThe All Blacks will take on South Africa in the World Cup final Getty✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today hot
  
  SubscribeAlready subscribed? Log inMost PopularPopular videosSponsored FeaturesGet in touchContact usOur ProductsSubscribeRegisterNewslettersDonateToday’s EditionInstall our appArchiveOther publicationsInternational editionsIndependent en EspañolIndependent ArabiaIndependent TurkishIndependent PersianIndependent UrduEvening StandardExtrasAdvisorPuzzlesAll topicshot BettingVoucher codesCompareCompetitions and offersIndependent AdvertisingIndependent IgniteSyndicationWorking at The IndependentLegalCode of conduct and complaintsContributorsCookie policyDonations Terms & ConditionsPrivacy noticeUser policiesModern Slavery ActThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inCloseUS EditionChangeUK EditionAsia EditionEdición en EspañolSubscribe{{indy hot
  
  truncatedName}}Log in / Register {{#items}}{{#stampSmall}}{{/stampSmall}}{{#stampClimate}}{{/stampClimate}}{{#stampPremium}}{{/stampPremium}}{{title}}{{#desc}}{{desc}}{{/desc}}{{#children}}{{title}}{{/children}}{{/items}}Indy100Crosswords & PuzzlesMost CommentedNewslettersAsk Me AnythingVirtual EventsVouchersCompare✕Log inEmail addressPasswordEmail and password don't matchSubmitForgotten your password?New to The Independent?RegisterOr if you would prefer:SIGN IN WITH GOOGLEWant an ad-free experience?View offersThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy notice and Terms of service apply hot
  
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  fullName}}My Independent PremiumAccount detailsHelp centreLogout @keyframes spin{0%{transform:rotate(0)}to{transform:rotate(1turn)}}@keyframes slidedown-video{0%{transform:translateY(-100%)}to{transform:translateY(0)}}@keyframes slideup-video{0%{transform:translateY(200%)}to{transform:translateY(0)}} hot
  
  
  
  Max Verstappen defied Lewis Hamilton to win a cat-and-mouse United States Grand Prix at a sizzling Circuit of the Americas in Austin - before Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified more than three hours later hot
  
  Verstappen has been on easy street this season, but the triple world champion was made to fight for the 50th win of his career – becoming only the fifth driver to reach a half-century hot
  
  Indeed, at one stage, Hamilton dared to dream of ending a losing streak which stands at 686 days and counting hot
  
  Yet, as so often been the case this year, Verstappen’s speed in his all-conquering Red Bull machine came to the fore hot
  
  He moved ahead of Lando Norris on lap 28 of 56 to all but seal the win hot
  
  Hamilton might bemoan a questionable strategy decision which saw him lose 10 seconds to Verstappen in the opening round of pit stops hot
  
  But in reality, he probably did not have the pace to stop the Dutchman from claiming his 15th win from the 18 rounds so far hot
  
  The drama did not stop there though hot
  
  Hamilton and Leclerc were later found to have breached the rules governing the floor of their cars and, in a shock end to the race weekend, were disqualified from the race hot
  
  Logan Sargeant, therefore, earned his first F1 point hot
  
  The seven-time world champion enjoyed a decent getaway at the start, but he was blocked by Norris under braking allowing Sainz to sneak through hot
  
  Norris had seen off pole-sitter Leclerc with a lunge at the first bend to assume the top spot hot
  
  As Norris set about building a lead – already two seconds clear of Leclerc at the end of the second lap – Hamilton set about passing both scarlet cars hot
  
  First up was Sainz hot
  
  Hamilton used the tow to latch on to the back of Ferrari on the 210mph drag to Turn 12, and, assisted by DRS, drew alongside Sainz before sliding underneath the Spaniard hot
  
  On the following lap, Verstappen, who started in sixth after his pole lap in qualifying was chalked off for exceeding track limits, relegated Sainz to another place when he made his move at the same corner hot
  
  Lando Norris took the lead at the start of the race (Getty)Hamilton has won six times across the Pond – with five of those victories here in Austin – and the 38-year-old required only two laps to swat Leclerc aside for second hot
  
  Deeper on the brakes at Turn 12, Hamilton sailed round the outside of the Monegasque at the left-hander, with Norris now three seconds up the road hot
  
  Behind, and Verstappen was not finding it as easy to make progress hot
  
  He was stuck behind Leclerc for an additional five laps before finally making his move on the Monegasque hot
  
  He trailed Norris by seven seconds, and Hamilton by four hot
  
  In the Mercedes garage, Prince Harry cut a pensive figure as he gnawed at his fingernails hot
  
  The Duke of Sussex has been something of a lucky charm for Hamilton hot
  
  He was a guest of Mercedes when Hamilton secured his second title in the 2014 season decider in Abu Dhabi, leading the congratulations to his fellow Briton on the radio hot
  
  Verstappen was the first in for new rubber at the end of lap 16 with Norris stopping the next time round hot
  
  But Hamilton stayed out hot
  
  Was Mercedes attempting a one-stopper? Hamilton did not seem convinced hot
  
  Asked if he could complete another five laps on his current set of tyres, Hamilton replied: “I am not sure, man hot
  
  It is pretty tough hot
  
  ”Hamilton then locked up before his race engineer Peter Bonnington was back on the intercom to inform Hamilton that Verstappen – who on new tyres had just lapped three seconds faster than the Briton – was now likely to gazump him when he eventually stopped hot
  
  TOP-10 - US GRAND PRIX1 hot
  
  Max Verstappen2 hot
  
  Lando Norris3 hot
  
  Carlos Sainz4 hot
  
  Sergio Perez5 hot
  
  George Russell6 hot
  
  Pierre Gasly7 hot
  
  Lance Stroll8 hot
  
  Yuki Tsunoda9 hot
  
  Alex Albon10 hot
  
  Logan Sargeant*Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified“No s***, man,” yelled Hamilton hot
  
  “I am struggling out here hot
  
  ”On lap 20, in came Hamilton, and a slow front-right tyre change added to his woes by costing him a needless second hot
  
  When Hamilton emerged from the pits, he had dropped to third, five seconds adrift of Verstappen hot
  
  “I came out so far behind,” he said with a hint of dejection hot
  
  When the opening stops were completed, Norris led Verstappen by 2 hot
  
  4 sec with Hamilton 7 hot
  
  5 off the lead hot
  
  By virtue of taking on another set of mediums, Verstappen had to stop again, but Norris and Hamilton – now both on the hards – could, if their rubber allowed, go all the way to the end hot
  
  Hamilton, failing to make any inroads and sensing his best chance of ending a 22-month winning streak had faded, expressed his frustrations hot
  
  “You have given me a hell of a gap to close,” he said hot
  
  Verstappen celebrates his 15th win of the season on the podium alongside Lewis Hamilton and Norris (Getty)On lap 28, Verstappen dived underneath Norris for the lead at Turn 12 hot
  
  Norris had a nibble back at the Red Bull heading into the ensuing right hander, but he failed to make it stick hot
  
  The question now was whether Norris, and indeed Hamilton – now less than five seconds off the lead – could make their tyres last hot
  
  The answer arrived on lap 34 when Norris dived in for a fresh set of boots hot
  
  Verstappen followed in on lap 35, and despite, a slow left-rear tyre change, retained his position ahead of Norris hot
  
  Three laps later and Hamilton was in, changing to the faster medium compound hot
  
  Hamilton had the bit hot between his teeth and within 10 laps he was crawling all over the back of Norris’ McLaren hot
  
  Norris slung his McLaren to the inside on the entry to the first corner in a move to stop Hamilton, but the older Brit gained hot better traction out of the corner to slingshot by in his Mercedes hot
  
  Verstappen was five seconds ahead and Hamilton started to reel his old nemesis in only to run out of laps hot
  
  Sainz took fourth ahead of Sergio Perez with Leclerc sixth and George Russell seventh for Mercedes hot
  
  More aboutMax VerstappenLewis HamiltonLando NorrisAustinJoin our commenting forumJoin thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their repliesComments1/3Max Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States GP victoryMax Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States GP victoryLando Norris took the lead at the start of the race Getty ImagesMax Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States GP victoryVerstappen celebrates his 15th win of the season on the podium alongside Lewis Hamilton and Norris Getty ImagesMax Verstappen defies Lewis Hamilton to edge United States GP victoryGetty Images✕Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this articleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today hot
  
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