New format turns frowns into smiles for Northland

What a difference a week makes.
Last week,  Northland Rugby Union (NRU) officials were nervously wondering whether they would face demotion to a newly created second division and face financial ruin - this week the future is rosy with the New Zealand Rugby Players Association plan for a seven-team premiership and a seven-team championship competition set to go in 2011.
The proposed changes have been warmly received by Northland rugby  officials.
"Northland think this is the best model that has been presented and we congratulate the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) and the players association for progressing the new model," NRU chairman Andrew Golightly said.
The terms of the new agreement between the players association and the NZRU were presented to the NZRU board and provincial union and franchise chairmen and chief executives  at a meeting in Auckland on Thursday evening.
The new competition format from 2011 will see 14 teams split into two divisions of seven  based on their on-field finishing positions in 2010. The top seven teams will form the Premiership and the bottom seven the Championship.
Teams will play all other teams in their division plus four other teams from the other division with all matches carrying full competition points. The winner of the Championship will receive automatic promotion to the Premiership and although the agreement remains subject to ratification, it may be concluded as early as next year.
"The competition will be based on how a union performs on the field and not judged on a created set of criteria and that's always been Northland's preference," Golightly said.
"I think it's a good result and there are real advantages to getting this sorted towards the end of the year to provide some certainty for the unions so we can now plan, with some comfort, three years ahead rather than year to year like we have been," he added.
The new format seems to have  few detractors  and Golightly believes it will become the competition model after next year's 14-strong competition. The NZRU's proposal to promote Wanganui and Mid-Canterbury to join Northland, Counties-Manukau, Manawatu and Tasman in a new six-team first division - to operate underneath the top 10  premiership - was rejected by the NZRU board last week after threats of legal action.
The new proposal means that Northland Taniwha will get to decide which league they will play in on the field next year - something that sits well with Northland coach Bryce Woodward.
"From our point of view, you couldn't ask for a better result.
"It's what we've been saying for some time. The new structure is based on simple criteria - you're financially viable and where you finish in the competition.

 "Next year determines where you sit the following year and there is an exciting new format where you're able to pick teams to play which adds a bit of spice to it so I congratulate the players association for coming up with it.
"If we end up in the bottom seven then that's where we deserve to be and likewise if we make the top seven, and that's what all teams will be aiming for," Woodward said.

 If taken on this year's results, Counties-Manukau, Northland, Otago, North Harbour, Taranaki, Tasman and Manawatu would have been in the lower Championship division while Canterbury, Wellington, Bay of Plenty, Southland, Auckland, Waikato and Hawke's Bay would have filled Premier  places.
"Both of those competitions would have been strong, meaningful and sustainable ... and then the unions can select traditional encounters - like we might get Auckland up here, or go for a cheeky Ranfurly Shield Challenge, anything might happen," Woodward said.
The challenge system has yet to be decided but will allow old rivals from different divisions to maintain their competitive tradition.
The new Collective Employment Agreement between the NZRU and NZRPA for 2010 to 2012 also has lowered the salary cap to  $1.35million  to $2.2 million - another bonus for the smaller unions like Northland so that they can better manage their costs.