NPC rugby: Final whistle for provincial games on television?

Wellington faces off against Hawke's Bay in front of empty yellow seats during an NPC match. Photo / Photosport

Fans of New Zealand provincial rugby teams might no longer be able to see their sides on television from 2026, as Sky TV and New Zealand Rugby radically reduce National Provincial Championship coverage.

NZR this week told provincial bosses the NPC is likely almost certain to have no full broadcast partner and needs to be radically restructured to lower costs.

With a reduced emphasis on television broadcasts, NPC matches could be played at smaller venues.

In a full feature on the challenges facing NPC rugby and the cost-cutting measures ahead, the NZ Rugby (NZR) general manager of community rugby, Steve Lancaster told the Herald: “If there is a reduction of the number of games broadcast on Sky then that presents an opportunity around how those games [NPC] are delivered and what venues they are delivered at and what the costs of that delivery are.”

For many seasons, NPC matches which once filled the country’s biggest stadiums, have been played in near-empty venues.

The announcement about reduced coverage comes as the provincial unions and NZR head office face off over future governance of the sport on these shores.

The proposed changes to the provincial game would also see responsibility for player development moved to Super Rugby franchises.

A structured formalised competition involving all New Zealand provincial teams was launched in 1976, with sides playing for promotion and relegation between divisions. Until the introduction of professional rugby with the Super 12 in 1996, the NPC was the highest form of the domestic game in New Zealand.

The competition has faced a series of restructurings since 2006.

Since its inception, Auckland has won the most titles (17), followed by Canterbury (15) and Wellington (5).

Taranaki won their second title in 2023, beating Ranfurly Shield-holders Hawke’s Bay 22-19 at Yarrow Stadium.