Rugby: New-look NPC likely after shakeup

By CHRIS RATTUE

Promotion and relegation will be re-introduced to the NPC within the next two seasons, but rugby's national administration is considering an even greater revamp of the domestic competition that might include a pools system in division one.

The 27 provinces were this week given options to consider for the future of the NPC, and decisions will be made early in the New Year.

But whatever is decided, promotion-relegation will become a standard feature of the NPC from next season or 2002.

In division one, there will almost certainly be a playoff game, possibly on the same day as the grand final, rather than automatic promotion-relegation, says New Zealand Rugby Football Union chief executive David Rutherford.

Eleven teams will compete in the first division next year, an increase of one after second division champions Bay of Plenty successfully applied for first division status.

The NZRFU revealed this week that the provinces had been given two options to consider for the future of the NPC. They will report back next month, so decisions can be made at the union's board meeting in February.

Option A involves a 10-team first division, eight in the second division and nine in the third. If that is adopted, one team would be automatically relegated, eliminating the need for a promotion-relegation match in 2001.

But if the union decide to increase the number of teams to 12 or 14 for 2002 and beyond, their insistence on playing the NPC within a 12-week period means they would have to adopt a pool system.

"The only negative with promotion-relegation is the risk of the yo-yo effect," said Rutherford, referring to the chance that some teams may continually bounce between the divisions.

"But we want reward for effort, risk for failure. Promotion-relegation will definitely come in.

"There is a chance the pool system will be adopted. Basically, if we increase the number of teams, we have to use pools."

Option B, the pool system, is modelled on South Africa's Currie Cup.

The make-up of each of two pools would be decided on the finishing order from the previous season. In a 12-team competition, seeds 1, 4, 5, 8, 9 and 12 would go in one pool.

After a round-robin, the top three from each pool would go into another round-robin series, while the bottom three from each pool would match up.

In this part of the competition, teams would carry over the points accrued against the two other teams from their original pool, so would not play them again.

The top four would play semifinals to find the grand finalists, with the promotion-relegation game played a week after the title-deciding match.

There are obvious advantages in increasing the number of teams, including spreading first-division rugby around the country and giving a greater number of players an opportunity at the top level.

But by the same token, that could also dilute the NPC's first division strength.

And the pools system could mean that traditional rivals do not even play each other in a year.

For instance, if pool seedings fell a certain way, two big teams such as Auckland and Canterbury could go through a season without clashing if one failed to make the top six.

That would appear to be a very significant drawback to the pools system.