What is the most synonymous affiliation to New Zealand? While the answer might seem obvious, it will, of course, depend on who you ask.
What makes New Zealand great and what does it have to do with Manchester United?
Indeed, some people might be drawn to say The Lord of the Rings as the epic trilogy was filmed in the Land of the Long White Cloud.
Others might say the hit New Zealand musical comedy act of the Flight of the Conchords. You may also find out about other popular New Zealand brands, such as Icebreaker, a renowned clothing line, or Casinoalpha, a company that specialises in casino analyses.
While these are all credible answers, you’ll find most people say the All Blacks on account of them being the most successful team to ever play rugby union. Incredibly, the All Blacks have won 76.7 per cent of 637 Test matches since their first one 121 years ago in 1903.
You might be nodding along somewhat impressed but still feel compelled to ask, what does this have to do with Manchester United?
The answer is everything as Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s company Ineos, is the Official Performance Partner of the All Blacks. More pointedly, you might find that the time Ratcliffe has spent behind closed doors closely studying the All Black culture is the reason why the 71-year-old has been so critical of the systems in place at Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe on the warpath
It was in February this year when Ratcliffe first began to tell the world that the club he had invested £1.3 billion in had a culture that was not conducive to success. It was a damning statement to make as the current majority shareholders since 2005, the Glazer family, had been responsible for allowing standards to fall to unacceptable levels.
However, Ratcliffe appeared to care very little for the upset that may be caused and even went one step further in May by telling staff at the club to “seek alternative employment” if they did not return to the office and give up their previous work-from-home roles.
Unwilling to stop there, Ratcliffe showed there were no sacred cows and also labelled the club’s Carrington training complex as ‘toxic’ and vowed to make sweeping changes.
It has been a scathing assessment of United’s failures and it would have left most fans feeling deeply disconcerted about how the club they love is run.
As unsettling as Ratcliffe’s review has been, it should also provide hope for a future of excellence as this is a man who, as touched on earlier, bankrolls one of the most prolific institutions in world sport; he has been on the frontline with those who have built the All Black culture and knows what it takes to win.
There can be no success without integrity
Indeed, at the heart of the All Blacks’ formidable culture lies integrity in one’s work; a characteristic sorely lacking in many departments at Old Trafford. Essentially, without this sense of pride in a job well done, the entire club, from the kitchen staff to the first-team players, will continue to perform below par.
Ratcliffe knows as much which is why he has taken a hammer to the club’s failing ethos. From the rubble, the 71-year-old intends to build the values that have made the All Blacks the most feared team in the world.
