SmartFrame administration costs NZ Rugby revenue and leaves Kiwi photographers unpaid

Henry Page and Shaun Walker of Mercer & Hole were appointed joint administrators of SmartFrame on 26 August 2026, according to the notice in The London Gazette. The case sits in the Business and Property Courts of England and Wales. Rob Sewell, the chief executive, posted a farewell on LinkedIn in late August saying SmartFrame had failed because it could not raise more money, RNZ reported.

RNZ understands NZ Rugby has missed out on a share of revenue it was promised under the deal, signed in mid-2023, though the amount is confidential. NZ Rugby now hires its own photographers, including for the Nations Championship in the northern hemisphere. It had not commented to RNZ.

SmartFrame used Action Press, based in Germany, to hire the photographers and pay them. One New Zealand photographer told RNZ he was still hoping to be paid for work done since July. Another said he had received 50% of the money due from Action Press, which had undertaken to pay the remainder inside a month. RNZ has asked Action Press head Ulli Michel for comment.

In his farewell message Sewell apologised to those SmartFrame could not pay. RNZ's report does not say whether the administrators have contacted New Zealand creditors, or whether photographers' claims lie against Action Press or SmartFrame. The administrators have not published a figure for what unsecured creditors might recover.