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Rugby leaders from across New Zealand will meet next week to discuss pressing issues in the sport, including the challenges posed by the professional era.
The Wellington-based forum will include representatives from 26 provincial unions and five Super 14 franchises.
Provincial managers and New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) bosses will be joined by others involved in the sport, including players and coaches, who have been selected as guests to bring extra perspectives to discussions.
Tasman Rugby Union chairman Max Spence said unions and franchises were starting to question the sustainability of the game.
Those questions were being raised in the wake of the last two years of the Air New Zealand Cup and consequences of funding professional rugby and managing the needs of the amateur game.
"To satisfy our expectations and grow the game domestically and compete successfully at international level there needs to be some changes to ensure rugby remains a game for all New Zealanders," Spence said.
He said some of the solutions might be unpalatable to sections of the rugby community, but the financial challenges unions and franchises were confronting had to be understood.
NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said the forum was to work towards "refining and agreeing a common vision for the game which is shared, accepted and owned by all shareholders".
The forum will be held at Wellington's Westpac Stadium on March 26-27 and builds on a similar meeting held in Auckland in December.
- NZPA
