NPC Crowds
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@Machpants and the other unions can play the heartland as full amateur, hell maybe set up some sort of draft from the Heartland....you really want to make it but havent got a professional gig? go play a season for north otago and aim to be picked up next year
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@tubbyj as much as it pains me to suggest, may also be some amalgamations, an Otago and Southland Rugby Union (Southern Rugby Union?).....bit have had major financial difficulties in the last 10-15 years and have very small catchments
that would have to be cheaper to run that the Highlanders, Otago AND Southland....and with a longer single season we could give both Dunedin and Invercargill games
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@tubbyj player numbers would mean NH would have to be there, which is where, as much as it pains me to say, Northland would likely end up if we have some culling and amalgamations.
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Yeah I've got a foot in the Bush and now live in Northland, both of which would not be directly involved in the pro comp. But somethings are bigger than you. We can't support two comps like we are, so IMO we need just one. Whether you spilt franchises into more manageable chunks, or merge unions, I don't know. Not like Ta$man union has gone to shit since it merged
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@gt12 said in NPC Crowds:
However, I think Dan is right - it is easy to just stop things and turn on the Telly so its not just the monetary cost, there has to be a reason to get people out and Iām not sure if location alone will do it.
When I've seen this work well, it's because it's a social event in its own right.
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@antipodean yeah, would take a a cultural shift for a lot of people for the default on a sat/sun afternoon to go down and watch the rugby...results secondary...just going is the thing
Mrs Womble has come to a few VFL games....couldn't care less about the result (have to reminder her who we're cheering for)....standing/sitting in the sun on the grass with a beer...or going to the pub for dinner then nipping round the corner to north port oval with mates....thats why she goes
harder to get that vibe with these large concrete stadiums
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@taniwharugby said in NPC Crowds:
@tubbyj player numbers would mean NH would have to be there, which is where, as much as it pains me to say, Northland would likely end up if we have some culling and amalgamations.
One way to lessen the blow in a theoretical North Auckland team would be to split the games 50/50 between Albany & Whangarei. Okara has 5 games scheduled for this year. In a theoretical single longer comp there might be ~10 home games
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@Duluth said in NPC Crowds:
@nzzp said in NPC Crowds:
How many pro players can we actually afford? Because 5 seems too many right now.
We have 19 right now. Yes 14 of them are cheaper but that is what we are currently supporting
The only trouble is if we only had 5 teams of pro players, in 5 years we would have 4, as everyone would go overseas and we wouldn't have replacements, or anyone experienced in playing game to step up etc. NZ has 500 odd players palying pro rugby overseas now,, you could add another couple of hundred to it without NPC at least.
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Don't we only have 5 teams of pro players now? Or are there guys fully pro playing NPC only??
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@mariner4life said in NPC Crowds:
Don't we only have 5 teams of pro players now? Or are there guys fully pro playing NPC only??
NPC is only semi pro and it's a quick season. However the cap is 1.1 million and even Manawatu operating on the cheap is 800-900k
When discussing how much pro rugby NZ can support that 14-15 million is significant
Also the teams are behaving more like franchises all the time. Recruiting from elsewhere before club rugby even starts etc
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@mariner4life good percentage mix playing NPC with MLR in USA that gaive them a decent pay packet (and lifetyle), but you right basically we have 5 fulltime pro teams and 14 semi pro, tale away semi pro, and they will be gone in general . We will end up with club and super and no way will it work. Everyone just needs to look at NH, they have so many layers of pro rugby, there is space aplenty for more of our NPC players.
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@mariner4life said in NPC Crowds:
Don't we only have 5 teams of pro players now? Or are there guys fully pro playing NPC only??
There's guys who are playing NPC and then heading off to the US or Japan - I expect many of them are fully pro.
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@Dan54 said in NPC Crowds:
I will guarantee one other thing, I bet if you ask NRL do they think NZ should drop NPC? Theyt would say yep, more players for us to get.
I don't think NPC salaries are stopping anyone going to league
More fully pro players would actually help
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@Nepia said in NPC Crowds:
There's guys who are playing NPC and then heading off to the US or Japan - I expect many of them are fully pro.
Yes, more and more play in the MLR now than in local club rugby. Obviously, not SR money but it must be enough.
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@Kiwiwomble said in NPC Crowds:
@antipodean yeah, would take a a cultural shift for a lot of people for the default on a sat/sun afternoon to go down and watch the rugby...results secondary...just going is the thing
Mrs Womble has come to a few VFL games....couldn't care less about the result (have to reminder her who we're cheering for)....standing/sitting in the sun on the grass with a beer...or going to the pub for dinner then nipping round the corner to north port oval with mates....thats why she goes
harder to get that vibe with these large concrete stadiums
Yep and to change it you need afternoon games so not something for tv, will go that way in some part eventually. Not sure where in Aus you live mate, but also suggest it fairly hard to sit on the grass when it cold and wet. When I first went to Aus (Qld) mrs came to all club games of rugby, same reasons etc as your Mrs, and enjoyed it. Mind you that was all free and easy, certainly amateur (subbies) rugby etc.
I see someone suggested NPC will die as us old buggers do, up to a point that will happen to super etc too unless things get revamped., as less and less go to them .
I think you will find similar in almost all sport except very top level. Geez I have turned on tv to some games of baseball in USA and genuinely the crowds are not great.Just read a thing on the net yesterday, saying that in soccer in UK, the numbers attending the lower levels is dwindling. And even watching any sport on tv by 16-30yos has dropped by almost 47%, as they find other things to do
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Well when each team plays 162 games a season you're not selling them all out.
