NPC 2023
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@Chris Yes all the main sources on here were talking about it.
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I don't know about people on here talking about it, just what I heard from my source when it was happening.
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@African-Monkey to be fair he did make good strides through the season and had improved considerably and I'd have had him back the following year.
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It has been on the NZR agenda for a while now by the look of things,NPC is heading for an amateur or semi amateur competition.
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However, that clashes with NZ Rugby’s opinion that provincial unions should first and foremost concentrate on community rugby, with winning NPC titles no longer the priority.
.....nothing is going to generate interest in lower levels like having...nothing...to play for
I for one am shocked...shocked that the attendance figures are dropping given how little is done to get people to the games.....
I saw on the weekend the AB's instagram page posted a meme about not having AB's games to watch this weekend and just waiting...rather than encouraging people to go watch NPC...sums things up i think
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@taniwharugby said in NPC 2023:
@Chris been on the agenda for over a decade really, NPC is the red-headed step child of NZR.
Mark Robinson gives me the creeps. He is one of those MBA guys who wants to free market everything. Everything he has touched so far has turned to mud. I should wait to see what they propose but he gives me as much confidence as a Reserve Bank economist.
The NPC has been the layer that made NZ rugby what it is. Just because all the players and coaches get a free ride (no transfer fees) and Corporations / Millionaires want to throw money at individuals, the NPC is no longer fit for purpose. Corporate speak. We will never compete on money alone.
If the NZRFU wanted to make it its NRL competition it would fly. Not in money terms but in rules to make it a competition and in reinforcing its role to NZ rugby but they don’t. Sky sports broadcast the games but neither the NZRFU or the broadcaster do any real promotion. The commentators often don’t know the players and make meaningless comments. The lack of care and attention shows. The Breakdown gives it no attention - yet Grassroots rugby does its job well for club rugby.
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@Kiwiwomble said in NPC 2023:
I saw on the weekend the AB's instagram page posted a meme about not having AB's games to watch this weekend and just waiting...rather than encouraging people to go watch NPC...sums things up i think
Yep, saw that on Twitter, too.
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@Stargazer i saw it on insta so missed the twitter one but love that one of the teams called them out!
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Quality rugby that people will pay to watch on TV or at the ground
Do you think it is viable?
I think it’s a huge part of system that has been the best rugby system in the world. But it’s been systematically devalued by head office who have tried more than once to cull teams. The Mako$ being one of those - but money has saved them.
It won’t make money in its current setup because the players and coaches ride it like a free transport system. They set it up that way so they shouldn’t complain. If they want it to make money they need to promote it, start charging transfer fees, have salary caps.
Instead they just want to have world club rugby matches, and more internationals.
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I keep asking because I doubt anyone seriously thinks this format is workable. However if anyone suggests reforms it gets shot down
My preferences would be for something similar to the 1990's 8-10 teams with All Blacks and no Super Rugby
It would be better than the NPC continuing to fade away and 5 SR teams are all we have forever
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Does anyone believe a 14 team competition is viable? First division in 90's with All Blacks playing had 9
i think it could have been....in the 2000's if NZR had committed to promoting and driving fan engagement ....but we've had 20 years of it being neglected...its nowhere near as much of the NZ publics culture as it was in the late 90's IMO....
I dont know if the NPC can keep going sustainably whilst super rugby exists, i just feel it splits attention/sponsorships/money/time/loyalty
edit: i think if you had no super rugby and all blacks then 14 might work, if it had all the same money/advertising/promotion as super rugby and NPC combined.....
