Peter Williams: Self-interest the villain in provincial struggles

There's an indisputable truth: "he who has the money has the power." Which means the answer to a rather vexed question is easy.

Who does run New Zealand rugby? Who can, and should, make the decisions about its future domestic direction? The answer, surely, is the New Zealand Rugby Union.

There's far too much tail wagging the dog in this interminable struggle about the provincial championship.

Blind Freddie worked out years ago that a first division championship containing more than 10 teams would provide ridiculous mismatches on the field and in the treasurers' offices.

If the top division is to be professional, there just can't be 14 teams of professional players trying to be competitive, and have their provincial unions' finances balance at the same time.

We also have to realise that, despite New Zealand fans believing we're a rugby factory producing legions of quality players who deserve to be paid, there are nowhere near enough quality players to make up 14 professional teams.

But the screams out of Counties-Manukau or Northland, Manawatu or Tasman when they're threatened with demotion to a more realistic competition seems to have NZRU executives and board members cowering.

The problems started in 2006 when the NZRU allowed 14 teams into the first division of the Air New Zealand Cup. That was one of the most gutless and silly decisions made in this country, and ultimately it's cost the game hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The amalgamation of Marlborough and Nelson Bays into Tasman seemed a ruse led by Canterbury to have another first division union in their Super rugby franchise boundary. They could put a few Crusaders in a first division team without affecting their salary cap. Four years on, I can't see any other reason for Tasman's existence. It's created misery in Marlborough rugby who've lost ownership of their main ground along the way.

The number of profitable provincial unions in the first division last year could be counted on the fingers of one hand. If those losing money are relying on grants or interest-free loans from the NZRU to keep them afloat (and many are), then surely the NZRU can make the call on how the national championship is structured and who plays in what division.

But, as is the case in far too many sports in New Zealand, parochialism and self-interest are put before the general good.

Has there really been a benefit to rugby in Nelson, Blenheim, Whangarei, Palmerston North and Pukekohe just because there's an (uncompetitive) first division team based there?

The most successful format was that which ran from 1992 to 2005. There were three divisions. Each played a round robin, the top four teams from each went to the semifinals and the winners of those matches played the division grand finals. The best system was an even split of nine teams per division across the 27 provincial unions, which ended in 1998. The 11-week competition finished at Labour Weekend.

As we prepare to stumble into the fourth year of the expensive and top-heavy Air New Zealand Cup don't you yearn for something as straightforward as that? Restrict contracted players to the first division. Encourage the fiercely competitive play that was such a feature of the old second and third divisions.

The NZRU seems constantly scared of upsetting its constituent unions. It shouldn't. Sometimes looking backwards is a good way to learn the way forward.