NPC 2023
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@Kiwiwomble No, but for example even if you are a builder, say you are 24, have a wife and a couple of kids, it is a big call to move away without the promise of a contract.
Currently you get the likes of Josh Moorby or Freedom Vahaakolo who move without signing on the dotted line, but these are guys who aren't bound by anything.
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maybe things have changed, i know almost none of the friends i grew up with live in dunedin any more and those that do all did stints away whilst in their 20's, and that was without the excitment or even slim possibility of earning a professional rugby contract, most did stints in the uk or aus...just for fun, moved and found a job (yes, with partners and some with kids), at very least they all went to see what living somewhere else in Nz was like
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Friday night's game: Manawatu vs. Northland
Saturday night's game: Otago vs. Southland
Replay of last year's final? Sunday afternoon with one team playing their 3rd game of the week.
A shambles.
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@Tim tbf, Sunday arvo is a good time, but agree the scheduling is poor, IMO you have maybe 3 time slots: Friday night, Saturday 2.30 and 7 then a Sunday game, or if a Sunday game isn't ideal, do it 5.15 Saturday, all done, 2 games to games to each slot except maybe one of the Friday or Saturday which could be billed (and scheduled) for the match of the round.
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@taniwharugby The current time slot set up is literally perfect (barring the storm week) - why change it?
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With only seven games a weekend there shouldn’t be two games played at the same time
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@Duluth Yeah, although I think it's pretty good at the moment, it might be better if they chose to play
- 7.05pm Friday;
- 12.05pm, 2.05pm and 4.35pm Saturday, if the evening slot can't be used (for example, when there's a home test match) or 2.05pm, 4.35pm and 7.05pm Saturday if the evening slot can be used; and
- 12.05pm, 2.05pm and 4.35pm Sunday.
Keeping in mind that some slots can be difficult for some teams because of the (un)availability of flights, if they can't/don't want to stay overnight (due to costs).
They'd probably have to adjust the FPC schedule in that case as well (there are sometimes already 3 games at the same time), also taking into account that they should not schedule an NPC and FPC of the same province at the same time.
At the moment, the 12.05pm slot is only used for FPC.
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@Stargazer said in NPC 2023:
7.05pm Friday;
12.05pm, 2.05pm and 4.35pm Saturday, if the evening slot can't be used (for example, when there's a home test match) or 2.05pm, 4.35pm and 7.05pm Saturday if the evening slot can be used; and
12.05pm, 2.05pm and 4.35pm Sunday.Makes sense to me. Surely it would be better for Sky too
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As it costs a lot to open the doors at the major stadiums the PUs need to maximise the games played there. Playing the FPC game, or a Dev/U19 game as a NPC curtain-raiser makes perfect sense. You get extra people through the gate who might have to make a choice on what game to attend.
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What’s been the bigger upset ..
Northland v Ta$man or Manawatu v Auckland..?
Me thinks Manawatu v Auckland when you consider the salary cap alone .
Not to mention the bunch of no names .. -
well, i guess in the revamped NPC it is now Auckland out, Manawatu in.
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@mariner4life said in NPC 2023:
well, i guess in the revamped NPC it is now Auckland out, Manawatu in.
Top 8 teams, the rest can be in the tard division
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as long as it's on win % then i can get behind that.
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i cant argue with a "merit" based...i just ask we keep the ability to go up if a team does just click or have a generation of young stars come through school
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What about 2 divisions of 7, 1 up and 1 down at the end of the season?
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I like the way Counties are trying to stay local.
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The NPC is certainly shaping up nicely. Obviously Wellington are going to be tough to beat, but Auckland, Canterbury and Ta$man have all shown enough to say they are going to challenge. To a lesser extent, I think the Naki, BOP and Hawke's Bay will cause issues, and I'd expect one of them at least to secure an upset in the first week of the finals.
The race for eighth is on, and in fairness Taranaki could be dragged into it if they lose to Otago tomorrow, but I think the Top 7 is the Top 7. If Otago win that, could well be a fruity battle for spots 7-10 between Otago, Harbour, Naki and Counties... with Otago playing Counties in one of the final games of the Round Robin, we could get an effective Round of 16 game.
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What a c#ck up by Sky Stadium, cited in the following article: https://clubrugby.nz/wp/2023/09/18/sideline-conversions-18-september-some-rugby-news-and-information-to-start-the-week/
If the Wellington Lions host the NPC final, Sky Stadium could be out of action for them owing to the Black Ferns playing there that weekend. It looks like the Hutt Rec could be out of action as the turf in front of the grandstand has been removed, so the final could be played at Porirua Park.
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@Canes4life said in NPC 2023:
What a c#ck up by Sky Stadium, cited in the following article: https://clubrugby.nz/wp/2023/09/18/sideline-conversions-18-september-some-rugby-news-and-information-to-start-the-week/
If the Wellington Lions host the NPC final, Sky Stadium could be out of action for them owing to the Black Ferns playing there that weekend. It looks like the Hutt Rec could be out of action as the turf in front of the grandstand has been removed, so the final could be played at Porirua Park.
Tbf, the Black Ferns have to play somewhere...
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@Canes4life I like Jerry Collins Stadium more than Sky Stadium for the NPC. Just a pity it's in Porirua.
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Why don't they have a double header celebration day?
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@frugby I’m not saying the Black Ferns shouldn’t play there but it’s bad scheduling.
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Canes4lifereplied to Stargazer on 18 Sept 2023, 04:50 last edited by Canes4life 18 Sept 2023, 06:31
@Stargazer I’d prefer Hutt Rec tbh, especially if they can erect a couple stands like they did a few years back.
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The NPC final is listed to be on Friday 20 October (TBC), which would mean a night game?
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@Bovidae looking on the Tribe app it has the final being anywhere from 20-22 October. Maybe NZRU will pick their date once they know who is in the final.
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Sat afternoon (2 pm) or Sunday are the only time slots that wouldn't clash with a WXV game in Wellington.
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@Canes4life said in NPC 2023:
@Stargazer I’d prefer Hutt Rec tbh, especially if they can extract a couple stands like they did a few years back.
Gimmie Hutt Rec. I want to walk to an NPC final and have a beer after at one of the most grim pubs I have been to.
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Wow, Wellington fans are already planning a parade
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@Duluth nah certainly not a done deal, and Wellington will know that. Just thought it was a strange oversight from Sky Stadium to double schedule the stadium if we were to make it through. Obviously with that date range, there is flexibility.
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@SouthernMann the Bellevue or the Angus?
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The Bellevue is on my route. Have popped in to chuck a bet on from time to time. Just get starred at by frequent flyers.
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Hearing that up to 6 teams could be culled from the Bunnings NPC from possibly 2025/2026 onwards , apparently this is what NZ Rugby has in mind.
No possibility of Promotion/Relegation which basically means any unions outside the 8 will become heartland Unions or feeders .
I know the majority of unions are dead against it , but some of the bigger unions are in favour of it , don’t have to be Einstein to figure who those unions are.
There are some announcements set on the future of the NPC set down for mid to late October
Much of this around expenditure , it’s fair to say some unions have gone way over budget and that has not helped ..
Gotta say though , there might be a revolution if NZ Rugby decided to tread this path -
@Steven-Harris I feel like NZR is only thinking of the business side of rugby, but have forgotten about the rugby itself. NPC is the heart and soul of rugby (to use Ken Laban's words) in most provinces, or at least those outside the main centres.
It will be interesting to see which provinces they want to cull and their justification(s) for that choice. IMO, they should pull the worst financial performers first (say goodbye to Auckland and Wellington) and only then the worst performers on the field. Or just pull all the provinces that are in favour of culling provinces.
It will be hard to justify culling provinces that are performing well on the field as well as financially.
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@Stargazer that's the thing, nzr has continues to bail provinces out, so has been no incentive to be fiscally responsible knowing daddy will dig into his pocket.
NZR needed to be harder on poor financial performance after they tried to cull Northland and Ta$man, but weren't and here we are again.
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