Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples confirmed today he met Finance Minister Bill English in June to tell him about the plan to back a Maori Television Service bid for Rugby World Cup broadcasting rights.

Dr Sharples said he mentioned Te Puni Kokiri, the Ministry of Maori Development, wanted to put $3 million into the bid for exclusive rights to World Cup matches.

"We talked loosely around that figure, there was nothing in writing," Dr Sharples said at a press conference where he and Prime Minister John Key announced the Government was supporting a joint bid by three television networks.

Dr Sharples said he wanted to find out what the ethics were around TPK supporting the MTS bid.

"Mr English said he would give it a lot of thought," he said.

The MTS bid stayed on the table and at the last minute TVNZ came in with a rival bid, backed by the Government.

The bizarre situation saw two state-funded broadcasters bidding against each other, and Mr Key had to intervene to broker the joint bid with Dr Sharples.

Although Mr English clearly knew about the MTS bid in June, he apparently failed to tell his colleagues and Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman didn't know anything about it until last month.

During the debacle ministers blundered around in the dark with conflicting ideas about what was happening.

Mr Key has admitted they could have done a better job.