New NPC format

[Yeetyaah]

Those changes are all good. Prem and champ is a little outdated. Plus it means the Taranaki fans will stop complaining and asking about legal action on social media.

[Bovidae]

QFs mean only 3 teams per conference miss out on the playoffs. So over half the teams in the NPC make the playoffs.

[Kiwiwomble]

@bovidae i guess not much different to what we have now, theyre just getting a shot at the big title rather than "just" the championship

[Bovidae]

@kiwiwomble Let's be honest, the 4 QFs are just a way to provide Sky with 4 extra games. I'd be perfectly happy if the top 2 teams from each conference play each other in cross-over SFs and go from there.

[Kiwiwomble]

@bovidae 100% agree, dont actually think it adds much if you finish just inside the playoffs and get smashed straight away

In saying that im not adverse to a proper league, finish top of the table and you win, need to have played everyone home and away though

[Godder]

Maybe final placings are more random than a near league might expect, but surely that makes the odds conference harder than the evens conference at least for the first year.

[Higgins]

I will take a punt and elect to following as home games for The Bay

Evens group
Southland
Otago
Counties

Odds group
Manawatu
North Harbour
Northland
Ta$man (just to keep their Shield torment going!)

[Machpants]

@bovidae said in NPC - news, injuries etc:

@kiwiwomble Let's be honest, the 4 QFs are just a way to provide Sky with 4 extra games. I'd be perfectly happy if the top 2 teams from each conference play each other in cross-over SFs and go from there.

Or have a complete round robin, plus just to two in the final. Same amount of weekends. Same as super rugby, including every man and his dog in the knock outs. SR could do play everyone home and away, only top two final. I really hate these lop sided shit comp set ups.

Still this is better than before, both SR and NPC

[Kiwiwomble]

@machpants i'd be up for that

[Dan54]

Personally I think it not perfect, but a bloody great improvement anyway. I am stoked and already looking forward to it.

Oh ang Go The Naki". I have decided I am well settled here now so better nail my colours to the wall!!!

[mariner4life]

good and easy change, the last one was stupid.

too many playing finals though.

[taniwharugby]

I just want a full season of NPC footy!

[Crucial]

@hooroo said in NPC - news, injuries etc:

@kiwiwomble said in NPC - news, injuries etc:

Kind of like it....but that could just because we've been stuck i the championship...for its entire existence

https://www.provincial.rugby/news/new-competition-format-for-the-bunnings-warehouse-npc/?fbclid=IwAR1c6o5ItnrjsUs92yIoGyCOZ-kJe6DMC860N8Axx_vnQ8BxYL2ebhcT0_E

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced the new format for the Bunnings Warehouse NPC with all 14 Provincial Unions to compete for one National Provincial Championship title.
The Bunnings NPC will see Provincial Unions seeded into two conferences based on the previous season standings for round robin matches and quarterfinals. Teams placed 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 sit within the Odds conference and teams placed 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 sit within the Evens conference for the season ahead. The round robin includes four crossover matches per team, where teams from the Odds conference will play teams from the Evens conference. 


The quarterfinals include the top four teams within each conference playing for a spot in the semi-finals. With the top two teams across the conferences playing against each other in the semi-finals, to then see the top two qualifiers play off in the NPC final. All matches will be broadcast live and exclusive on Sky.

The pools and seedings for the 2022 Bunnings Warehouse NPC are as follows: 
 

ODDS	                            EVENS
(1) Waikato 	                 (2)  Ta$man
(3) Hawke's Bay 	         (4) Canterbury
(5) Bay of Plenty 	         (6) Auckland
(7) Wellington	                 (8) Taranaki
(9) Otago	                        (10) Manawatū 
(11) Southland	        (12) North Harbour 
(13) Counties Manukau 	(14) Northland

Much prefer the odds side. That evens side looks quite tough.

In theory the evens side should be weaker conference. If things ended up the way they went in by ranking the evens conference 'quartfinals' would be Ta$man v Naki and Canterbury v Auckland!

I gather the first year will be the reshuffling one.

[Dan54]

Yep crucial and might make a differenc how the 4 corssover matches work too.

[Bovidae]

Allocate the crossover games randomly rather than teams getting to choose their opponents.

[Crucial]

@bovidae said in New NPC format:

Allocate the crossover games randomly rather than teams getting to choose their opponents.

I hadn't read that part.
Surely there is a fair way of allocating crossovers when teams are ranked?

The 'choosing' thing is a sop to teams that want to ensure traditionals and/or derbies, which makes sense for crowds I guess.

[mariner4life]

@crucial said in New NPC format:

crowds

[Kiwiwomble]

@crucial said in New NPC format:

@bovidae said in New NPC format:

Allocate the crossover games randomly rather than teams getting to choose their opponents.

I hadn't read that part.
Surely there is a fair way of allocating crossovers when teams are ranked?

The 'choosing' thing is a sop to teams that want to ensure traditionals and/or derbies, which makes sense for crowds I guess.

other sports (im thinking AFL) would make that an event, like a draft night, where teams have to stand up and accept/veto/trade away game, the kind of thing to build some excitement preseason

[Crucial]

@mariner4life OK. easier travel for mums and dads then

[mariner4life]

being able to choose who you play where everyone is in the same comp, and not everyone plays everyone, is one of the stupider ideas for a sporting competition i have ever heard.