A full strength NPC?
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@Steven-Harris bad idea imo, having our top players sprinkled about rather than moderately concentrated for better competition and practise as they would be with Mitre 10. Big step from club to international, slightly less from a super rugby and Abs player laden M10
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@Stargazer said in A full strength NPC?:
@Nepia Hmmm, a prop better than Hintz? Josiah Tavita-Metcalfe and Patrick Teddy are obviously in our academy, but I'm not sure they're ready. I was hoping for them to have a good club rugby season this year, so they could compete with Hintz for a spot, but now that the club season will be shorter, I'm not so sure. I seriously hope that they didn't sign Namatahi Waa for 2020, because he just isn't good enough.
I'm not sure Bucky will make himself available and is still good enough to justify blocking the pathway of one of the younger players. Maybe instead of Fomai on the bench?
Waa played for the Shield Snorters WTG team v Auckland on Feb 29.
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@Steven-Harris Would the non-SR M10 players be paid to play club rugby?
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@Steven-Harris Sounds like a bad idea. Financially, that's terrible for the provincial unions; no income from tickets sold; and they'd have to pay back the season memberships or transfer them to 2021. I assume, they wouldn't have to pay players if they don't play, but they'd also lose sponsor money.
Also, I agree with @Machpants, it doesn't sound like a good preparation for the ABs for their Northern tour. Too big a gap between club rugby and test rugby.
I'd rather have a shortened club season (at least at the top level from which M10 players are selected), followed by a shortened NPC (scratch the cross-over games?). At that top level club rugby, they could maybe play another round of club rugby without the NPC players (which may require some clubs to combine, because they'd lose too many players).
By the way, if I didn't misunderstand what was said or suggested in the interview with Mark Robinson on the Breakdown, last Tuesday, they have already scratched the Jock Hobbs U19 Tournament.
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@Stargazer said in A full strength NPC?:
@Steven-Harris Sounds like a bad idea. Financially, that's terrible for the provincial unions; no income from tickets sold; and they'd have to pay back the season memberships or transfer them to 2021. I assume, they wouldn't have to pay players if they don't play, but they'd also lose sponsor money.
Also, I agree with @Machpants, it doesn't sound like a good preparation for the ABs for their Northern tour. Too big a gap between club rugby and test rugby.
I'd rather have a shortened club season (at least at the top level from which M10 players are selected), followed by a shortened NPC (scratch the cross-over games?). At that top level club rugby, they could maybe play another round of club rugby without the NPC players (which may require some clubs to combine, because they'd lose too many players).
By the way, if I didn't misunderstand what was said or suggested in the interview with Mark Robinson on the Breakdown, last Tuesday, they have already scratched the Jock Hobbs U19 Tournament.
Yeah. I agree sounds like a bad situation for the Ab's and provinces better a stronger mitre 10 than club.
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@Kirwan said in A full strength NPC?:
@shark said in A full strength NPC?:
I'm crossing my fingers for the first full-strength provincial comp since around 2005 or so.
This could give them an interesting data point about the interest in such a comp as well.
2006 definitely had full strength teams as I was at the sold-out final. Wellington even had a current AB (Masoe) on their bench.
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@Kirwan said in A full strength NPC?:
@shark said in A full strength NPC?:
I'm crossing my fingers for the first full-strength provincial comp since around 2005 or so.
This could give them an interesting data point about the interest in such a comp as well.
How good would it be if Super Rugby was rissoled and this became a premier comp again? Waikato would take a while to find their feet in it but I would totally support that kind of comp.
It would also make the tri-nations much more appealing too as you wouldn't constantly see the same players playing week in and week out.
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The sport's national governing body announced that all competitions below Mitre 10 Cup and Farah Palmer Cup would be axed, which also includes the Jock Hobbs Memorial National U-19 tournament, the national sevens tournament and all provincial Union representative rugby tournaments.
Those cancellations amount to an overall saving of $20 million for NZR, said CEO Mark Robinson.
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Fuck it, someone has to put it out there. How does the Heartland Championship get axed but the FPC goes ahead?? Which one has the history again?? Does the FPC generate income? Or is it required simply in order to generate a national team, which goes on to cost NZR money?
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Probably because there is at least one Farah Palmer cup match live every weekend (as double headers with Mitre 10 Cup) as well as the two finals, and the money generated from Sky is greater for these than just the two live finals of Heartland Championship.
I think the Sky contract pays NZR in terms of broadcast hours rather than number of matches?
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Sponsor update from HB Rugby, could be a much stronger NPC - hopefully..
"Mitre 10 Cup – There are some really positive discussions happening about this which is exciting for us. Several scenarios are being looked at with one sticking to the current format and distributed draw, secondly an option to establish a 14 team competition with a full round robin like the old days. There is a very good chance all Super Rugby players will be available from the start with the cancellation of the planned Super Rugby competition. All Black test matches are under severe threat so AB’s could be introduced and additionally the majority of players who were playing in Japan, France the UK etc have returned to NZ and indicated that they would be keen to play. We have been told that here are more than 50 players who have returned with the likes of Kieran Read (Counties Manukau) and Brodie Rettalick (Shield Snorters) who would turn out in provincial rugby as they just want to play. Sky TV now don’t have the televised rights for cricket so can be more flexible on start and end dates to competitions as they want the rugby content for their viewers and the provincial competition is very important due to the ability to connect throughout the whole of NZ. "