Major overhaul for provincial rugby

New Zealand rugby's top provincial competition will be downsized as early as next year, with a return to a three-division format including promotion-relegation heavily signposted.

An NZRU release today, formalising changes agreed at last week's forum involving provincial unions, the players' association and the national organisation, gave the strongest indication yet that the Air NZ Cup, as we know it now, will be reduced significantly.

The national union is still staying cagey on details of any changes - with a fair bit more work still required - but after releasing criteria today it has become clear that a back to the future approach is being undertaken.

The new provincial format, designed to dovetail in with Super rugby's makeover, will be reduced to a 10 to 12-week window, will involve a full round-robin, promotion-relegation and will not overlap with other competition, namely club and Super rugby.

There are also to be a "guaranteed" four or five home matches per team and the competition is to run no later than the end of October.

The timing of the changes has been identified as for 2011 on, though there is provision for introduction by next year if all parties agree. This year's top provincial competition will continue in its current 14-team format, despite media speculation otherwise.

The NZRU released the "agreed a set of principles" which they say will guide the changes to be made to the provincial landscape. The aim, they say, is to create a "meaningful" competition for all unions.

They might also have added affordable, for the cost of running the provincial game is at the heart of many of the difficulties being faced.

A truncated season should help on that front.

Read more: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/2444452...ovincial-rugby