Let's get into bed with the Kiwis

[KenyaQuin]

Let's get into bed with the Kiwis
John Connolly | June 29, 2008

I bumped into All Blacks legend John Hart at a recent New Zealand Warriors rugby league match and he floated an idea that could help the development of the game on both sides of the Tasman.

Hart attended a recent think-tank on the state of New Zealand rugby and one proposal was to expand the National Provincial Championship to include Australian sides.

Read More.

[BLR]

'The Western Force to tour Ireland'
Haha, someone did his homework.

To the story itself, brilliant idea if the Force were included into the plan.

[beige]

I'll add Connolly's idea to the list...

[innocent quokka]

so an expanded super 14 without the saffas?

[BLR]

so an expanded super 14 without the saffas?

I assume it means add the expanded NPC and the future of Super rugby is seperate to the article...

[Burgs]

Not sure why it is "ridiculous" given thatthe Tahs have recently toured Eastern Europe and Argentina and the Reds I recall also went to Argentina???

Anyway, I would be in favour of this approach IF the ARU don't have the stones to restart the ARC on their own.
I would suggest that the bottom two NPC sides should drop back to the Heartland Championship to make it 12 NZ and 4 Australian teams.
If this kind of alliance approach was being successful then I would also propose that other Clubs or franchise teams from Australia (Sydney Uni, Gold Coast, Melbourne etc) be accepted into the Heartland Championship (NPC 2nd Div) in following years.

[BLR]

I don't think 12 and 4 would work, team strength wise, NZ rugby is strong but I think the talent pool would be far too diluted if this were the case. So yeah, split NSW into three, QLD into two, have ACT, Perth and maybe Melbourne (basically fine tuen the ARC teams) to make it 12 NPC teams and 8 Australian teams, bringing it to 20 teams overall, that would be immense.

[innocent quokka]

I assume it means add the expanded NPC and the future of Super rugby is seperate to the article...

oh, I was meaning as well as the normal super 14 ...

[Scotty]

It's a great idea rugby-wise, but who's going to pay for it? The same financial viability reasons for canning the ARC still exist. And then we add trans-Tasman travel to it as well?

The NPC also isn't traveling too well financially, as I understand it.

John's article didn't really address this, just rehashed an idea he's already raised before...

Until someone comes up with an answer for the $$$, all we can do is continue to dream....

[beige]

I don't think 12 and 4 would work, team strength wise, NZ rugby is strong but I think the talent pool would be far too diluted if this were the case.

I agree - the NPC kind of sits in between our club and Super 14 sides in standard.

While we're dealing in hypotheticals, the Currie Cup would be a nicer fit if it wasn't so far away...

[Burgs]

BLR-Beige, remember that the 4 Australian teams would be without their Wallaby, Australia A, Australian Sevens and Australian Under 20 players for most of that period.
With that considered, I think you would find the four potential squads would fight into the middle third of NPC places at this stage.

For general interest, the NZRU has each of the Air New Zealand (NPC in old speak) and Heartland Championship Clubs alligned with a Super 14 franchise.
Many of the NPC level are known but here is the full breakdown of affiliations:

Air New Zealand Cup Heartland Championship

Blues:
Auckland
North Harbour
Northland

Chiefs:
Bay of Plenty
Counties Manukau
Waikato
King Country
Thames Valley

Crusaders:
Canterbury
Tasman
Buller
Mid Canterbury
South Canterbury
West Coast

Highlanders:
Otago
Southland
North Otago

Hurricanes:
Hawke's Bay
Manawatu
Taranaki
Wellington
East Coast
Horowhenua-Kapiti
Poverty Bay
Wairarapa Bush
Wanganui

[beige]

BLR-Beige, remember that the 4 Australian teams would be without their Wallaby, Australia A, Australian Sevens and Australian Under 20 players for most of that period.

I don't believe the sevens season overlaps, but they'd have the same problem with the All Blacks, Junior All Blacks, New Zealand Maori, etc...

[BLR]

BLR-Beige, remember that the 4 Australian teams would be without their Wallaby, Australia A, Australian Sevens and Australian Under 20 players for most of that period.

Yet wouldn't the same be true in New Zealand? Except the fact that they actually take Sevens seriously so would actually probably have an even worse drain...

[jargan83]

id have to say that the kiwis have the depth though were we dont, not to that standard at least
Posted via Mobile Device

[BLR]

id have to say that the kiwis have the depth though were we dont, not to that standard at least

But 12 teams to 4 worth of depth? I think 8 to 12 is entirely appropriate, it gives the strong NSW and QLD club scenes an adequate avenue to run from and ACT, WA and to a lesser extent Melbourne will be solid enough to be more than competitive. There are alot of teams in the NPC that our ARC teams could have given a good run for thier money. It won't happen if the Kiwi teams are keeping thier split up provincial system while we keep our state system...