Rugby: Revamp of NPC into just two divisions

There will be 12 first-division teams and the second will be split into North and South Island conferences

Provincial rugby will be played in two divisions in 2000.

The New Zealand Rugby Football Union yesterday unveiled a new competition structure which aims at a maximum of 12 teams contesting the NPC first division and an expanded second-division format split into North and South Island conferences.

The new structure comes after a year of consultation and submissions to the provincial advisory group headed by former All Black Brian Lochore.

The Lochore Report proposed a 13-team first division with three teams coming from each of the North Island Super 12 teams and two from the two South Island franchises.

However, that was reviewed after the NZRFU ruled the Central Vikings were not eligible for promotion and subsequently disbanded.

It is not clear how many teams will contest the first division in 2000 but NZRFU chief executive David Moffett said its aim was 12, so there would be a larger base of players performing at the top level.

However, this may not happen immediately as each first-division team will need to meet specified competitive and financial criteria.

The criteria are divided into three areas -- competitiveness of teams (45 per cent), structure and financial viability (40 per cent) and population base and registered players population (15 per cent).

The new competition structure means that during this year, when the NPC will be the same as last year, there will effectively be no promotion and relegation other than having to meet the union's new criteria.

"We believe 12 teams provides a stronger base for first-division rugby," Moffett said. "The Air NZ NPC is the most important competition that New Zealand has -- more important than Super 12 -- but we need to support five Super 12 teams and that grows to seven when we need 30 to 35 replacements to cover for.

"In order to cover that we need more players playing in the NPC, which is the envy of most other countries around the world."

The existing first-division format, which features a semifinal and finals system, will not be tampered with and the Ranfurly Shield will remain an integral part of New Zealand rugby.

The expanded second division will have its own round-robin, and then, based on placings, a series of North v South semifinals and final.

"The North Island-South Island format will allow traditional provincial games [Hanan and Seddon Shields] to be maintained. It also effectively provides for two competitions in one, with winners in each island and then a national winner after interisland playoffs," Moffet said

"The make-up of the expanded second division will obviously depend on the number of teams in the first division. It will be flexible to allow for promotion or relegation from division one and also to accommodate some unions who may want to enter combined teams for those unions wishing to go down that road."

As part of the ongoing consultation process Moffett said the chief executives of second and third division unions would meet in Wellington to discuss the details of the new division two.

To ensure an even number of second-division teams in each island it was possible that on an invitation basis teams may be fielded from Canterbury Country or Otago Country. - NZPA