NPC 2023
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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.....
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A couple of things I have noticed about the NPC on TSF:
First of all traffic is going great. We are have ~60% more traffic right now than last year (and AB's losing is generally 'good' for us)
3 weeks ago we hit an 8 year high in traffic. That was 260% the traffic we had during the last RWCFantastic
However NPC threads have less posts, people aren't discussing NPC matches as much as previous years, the tipping comp has fewer numbers and general interest is down on previous years (SR posting was up)
NPC needs drastic reform. Provincial unions vote in self interest. NZR can't force something through so they are just turning down the dimmer switch
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I think it’s a huge part of system that has been the best rugby system in the world.
That wasn't the 14 team competition
Do you think it's viable?
The other system meant the end of rugby for those provinces in the 2nd division.
I answered the viable question. It’s part of the system that gives NZ rugby the best overall outcome. It should never be thought of as a stand alone competition.
It’s a reductionist question that ignore the system implications.
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I think a 14-team competition is viable, but not in one division, or not in the current format.
I also think a 14-team competition is necessary for rugby to survive in all 14 provinces.
I don't think it being a 14-team competition is the root of the problem. I think the lack of promotion, the constant changes, the negative attitude of the media towards the competition (seemingly fed by NZR's attitude towards the comp.), the grounds the games are played in some provinces (stadiums too big), the prices of food/drinks a some venues, the times games are played etc are to blame.
If some provinces live beyond their means (Wellington, for example), they should be forced to live within their means. If small provinces like Manawatū and Southland have to do it, why not the big unions?
I think changes to SR could also help NPC, like playing more SR games in the smaller provinces.
SR is too long (for financial gain); if they'd scrap the 2nd games against the same opponents, SR would be shorter and NPC could become longer (proper round robin).But again, I think a lot could be gained by good promotion of the NPC. If NZR shows enthusiasme towards the NPC instead of that stupid social media post, that could be a good first step.
