Silver Lake, the American private equity firm, is closing in on a deal for one of the biggest commercial prizes in global sport: a stake in the New Zealand All Blacks rugby union team.
Sky News has learnt that Silver Lake and New Zealand Rugby, the sport’s national governing body, are on the brink of finalising a deal that would see the investor acquire a minority shareholding in a new commercial holding company.
One sports industry insider said an agreement between the two sides and the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (NZRPA) was now imminent, and that it could involve a stake of not much more than 5%.
A deal, which would be likely to value the All Blacks’ commercial rights at more than £1.5bn, could be announced as soon as this month.
