Provincial game's character hinges on money

Otago Daily Times

6 days ago

While we await New Zealand Rugby's long-overdue announcement about the future of the NPC, Adrian Seconi ponders what the competition might look like next year. Get a day job?
The Men's Pathways and Competitions report appears to have been filed in the third drawer down at the New Zealand Rugby headquarters. However, its contents have been widely leaked. And, according to various media reports, one of the key recommendations is to affirm the NPC as a key competition in the men's pathway.
There is a fishhook, though. The costs are too high and one way to make some savings is to introduce a salary cap.
New Zealand Rugby general manager of community rugby Steve Lancaster confirmed to the Sunday Star-Times that a salary cap of $840,000 was proposed in the pathways report.
To put that into context, if the provincial unions contracted 30 players, they could pay them an average of $28,000 each. That is not bad for three months' work, but is it enough to give up your day job? No roof?
Otago will play Auckland at Auckland Grammar School on October 4.
Auckland are saying they want to get the game into different corners of the city.
Puh-lease. It is about saving money and that fixture is a trial run.
The NPC costs more than $36 million each season. Player payments make up the largest chunk of that, but venue costs, estimated at $4million, are the next expense set for a prune.
NPC champions Wellington have already moved in that direction. They will host all their games at Porirua Park this season.
It is suggested that about $400,000 could be shaved off the bill of running the competition if all 14 NPC teams moved to smaller venues.
Otago had an average crowd of just 1600 last year. Does that even keep the lights on at Forsyth Barr Stadium?
How long before Otago follow in Wellington's footsteps and make the move to Tahuna Park? Rugby for free?
Could the NPC be about to return to free-to-air television?
Sky recently bought TV3 for a buck, and that buck might return some NPC games to New Zealanders who have been unable or unwilling to pay to watch rugby.
The New Zealand Herald reported New Zealand Rugby had previously been in talks with TVNZ to sell partial broadcasting rights for the NPC and Farah Palmer Cup.
Sky was reportedly willing to work with TVNZ, but the expectation now is it would use TV3 to broadcast the games it deems fit for free-to-air, while the rest would remain behind its paywall.
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