NPC 2022

Bovidae

Some progress...

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/300468524/npc-revamp-three-options-on-the-table-as-new-zealand-rugby-pushes-for-change

Yeetyaah

@bovidae must be hard for Van Rooyen to write an article where he can't jerk Canterbury rugby so much.

Stargazer

I really hope they're not going for the North-South split. Provinces being in one pool with the same other provinces every year is boring. If they want two pools, split them based on table position at the end of the round robin of the previous year: 1, 3, 5 etc in one division pool, 2, 4, 6 etc in the other.

I'd also like to see an equivalent to the Lochore Cup in the Heartland comp, so that the provinces that will realistically never make the Cup semi-finals, still have a piece of silverware to play for. Or make it Cup, Plate & Bowl, like in sevens.

Bovidae

@yeetyaah said in NPC - news, injuries etc:

@bovidae must be hard for Van Rooyen to write an article where he can't jerk Canterbury rugby so much.

He and Knowler certainly write to their audience.

Machpants

I just want them to extend the comp, why the fuck not? Only needs one more week, and don't have finals, just base it on the leaderboard. Alternate home and aways every two years

Stargazer

@bovidae Just like Hinton, Jim Kayes and the Ferald (Blues), Aaron Goile (Chiefs), Jamie Wall (Hurricanes), Paul Cully and the entire ODT (Highlanders)

Yeetyaah

@stargazer waaah waaah waaah

Stargazer

@machpants said in NPC - news, injuries etc:

I just want them to extend the comp, why the fuck not? Only needs one more week, and don't have finals, just base it on the leaderboard. Alternate home and aways every two years

I really like the idea of a full round robin, but wouldn't like a comp without a final. It's a pity there's no space in the rugby calendar for two weeks more (14-week competition).

Bovidae

As the article says a full competition needs to be 15 weeks but there is only a 12-week window. If we avoid midweek games the NPC would need to start earlier (and clash more with club rugby) as the NZRPA won't want to extend the competition into Nov and reduce the player's off-season.

Stargazer

@bovidae said in NPC - news, injuries etc:

As the article says a full competition needs to be 15 weeks but there is only a 12-week window.

I don't read that in the article at all. It just says that before the current premiership-championship split, there was a 15-week window available. The comp doesn't have to include semi-finals.

If we avoid midweek games the NPC would need to start earlier (and clash more with club rugby) as the NZRPA won't want to extend the competition into Nov and reduce the player's off-season.

Just an impression, but it seems some provinces have ridiculously long club rugby competitions. Maybe provinces should have a look at that.

Stargazer

Anyway, I'd rather have a competition of one division where teams play 11 of the 13 other provinces and then a Final in week 12, than a competition with two divisions where teams play the 6 provinces of their division and 4 cross-over games, followed by a Semi-final and a Final.

The first format is much simpler. They just need to avoid that teams miss out on playing each other every year. The provinces you don't play should be different every year. Preferably one of those provinces finished in the top 7 the previous year, and the other in the bottom 7.