Beauden Barrett of the Blues leads the team out ahead of the Super Rugby Pacific Quarter Final match between the Blues and the Highlanders at Eden Park. Photo / Getty Images.
It's obviously broken, so here's how to fix it. The NZME sports team has pulled together 40 ways to improve Super Rugby.
Let the sun shine in: Daytime rugby, daytime rugby, daytime rugby. Play the game at a time of day when the ball and the ground will be dry, and when families are more likely to attend. Kiwi rugby fans are the only ones in the world expected to put up with late kick offs.
Curtain raisers: The old ways were often the best. Play your top schoolkid sides as pre-match entertainment and at least there'll be some people at the venue who care about a result.
Celebrate heritage: When you walk into any sports venue in the US the history of the team and the venue is bang in your face - giant billboards of legendary players, hyped-up honours boards, superstars of the past wandering around shaking hands. Welcome to Eden Park, check out this expanse of concrete. Build legacy links between teams - you could start with an Umaga Cup shared between the Blues and the Hurricanes.
Walk of legends: Giant images of players past on the way into the venue make for great images down the tunnel like in Melbourne. It would be a great matchday experience, and add to the TV hype here.
We'll drink to that: New Zealand's craft beer scene is a world leader, and Auckland's own Craft Beer Mile runs within spitting distance of Eden Park. But yeah, serve me some crappy Speight's or whatever.
The kids are alright: Kids and their coaches go for free. Open the doors to local sports club junior sides - all codes.
Make a day of it:
From Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness to Motat, rugby is competing for attention and entertainment dollars. Why not team up with other entertainment businesses to sell a day pass: A meal, a movie, a match.
Act local: How about teaming up with local hospo businesses to provide discounts for ticket holders.
Food truck festival: Come for a feed, stay for the footy.
Cheaper tickets: The main product is TV. More crowds = better TV = more engaged audience = more consistent crowds. The circle of life.
Family first: Parents attending matches during the recent Women's Cricket World Cup were able to make use of childcare facilities. Where do I park a toddler during a Super Rugby game? Oh, nowhere - cool, cross young families off your list. Not that it matters anyway, because matches start after most kids' bedtimes and finish at an hour when their parents wish they were in bed.
Good noise: Pre-game or halftime musical performances from local artists.
Bad noise: The recent move towards playing music while the ball is in play was surely devised by someone who doesn't enjoy watching rugby. Stop doing it.
Terrible noise: Install a machine that punches a ground announcer in the face every time they implore a crowd to "Make some noise".
Access all areas: At the Australian Open tennis tournament, fans can pay to get on court for players' warm up on a back-of-house tour. This would be easy to deliver at rugby and great for prizes.
Kick racism out: Let's have a concerted push to report racist and other nasty behaviour in the crowd.
Ride on: More and better signposted bike racks in secure locations.
Take it to the regions: If big-city crowds can't be bothered, take the mountain to Mohammad. Some of New Zealand's premium rugby venues - places like McLean Park in Napier and Rugby Park in Waiuku - will bring the magic that Super Rugby.
Relegation: The bottom-placed NZ team must play one warm-up match the following year at Bluff Rugby Football Club.
The Blues: Someone figure out how on Earth the Blues keep leaking talent. Papakura kid Kieran Read should have been a Blues legend.
Owners: Go fully professional with independent owners. Take the burden from NZR, get rich owners to help recruit star players.
Global game: No restrictions on international players. Big spending owners = chance to lure big European stars.
New leaders: Bring in dynamic people from outside of rugby to lead the sport. In other words - drain the swamp.
Numbers game I: Cut the number of teams in the playoffs to four or six. By making it more difficult to qualify, you add more meaning to both the regular season and playoffs games.
Numbers game II: Make it a 12-team comp, with a 7-3 NZ-Oz split (plus Fiji and Moana). The cities should be Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Canberra.
Numbers game III: Let's have a 22-week regular season with semifinals and best-of-three final series. By making it more difficult to qualify, you add more meaning to both the regular season and playoffs games.
Black sabbat(ical): Ban the nonsense that sees our biggest names disappear then glide back. By all means, chase the money overseas, but there should be no place guaranteed upon return.
Tradies rule: Trades are in. Everyone loves a trade (except the players).
Draft day: Bring in a draft. If your team is rubbish, at least you get the best young player next season. Bad team = exciting future.
Free time: At least one free-to-air game per week. Prioritising the live experience of being at a match is at the heart of the success of the Premier League.
People power: Give the players personalities. Encourage them to tweet, do interviews, share opinions. Get some sledging going, develop rivalries and characters.
Front up: Refs have to give post-match interviews and talk about topical moments.
Sharing is caring: Highlights freely allowed to be shared across social media platforms (read NBA).
Talk time: Promote controversial pundits. Strong opinions, plenty of debate. Let's get the people talking.
Land of fantasy: Make a good fantasy Super Rugby game, with cool prizes. Tipping comps are cool but fantasy is even more addictive and actually increases engagement in the sport.
Midweek matters: Better midweek TV shows. Sky's Breakdown is better than it was but still too safe. Encourage more debate, have more players on who are likely to speak their minds. When Aaron Smith was speaking out against refs, bring him on the show to debate a ref.
All-Stars: Create an All-Star weekend in the middle of the season: Skills challenges, Super Rugby rookies v First XV all-stars match, maybe NZ conference all stars v Aussie conference all stars via fan voting, maybe a Super Rugby All Star Sevens game, maybe a celebrity game of touch for charity. Bring in celebrities and musical performances and make a whole weekend of it somewhere.
Bula vinaka: Let Drua have all the home games they want.
Grey matter: Let refs make more spur of the moment calls. No need to send every other decision to the TMO - there's too many stoppages. Sport isn't black and white. Embrace the grey.
Back up: The offside line for halfbacks at scrums should be at the back of their No 8's feet. This will give attacking scrums a deserved advantage after they've earned the put-in.
The Black Foils navigated the light conditions well to open the season in Dubai.