Let provincial unions sink

Super Rugby teams was on the cards. Maybe it will in June or July.

Super Rugby will take priority. The provincial unions will have to wait.

Ideally the Mitre 10 premiership and championship tournaments, along with the Farah Palmer Cup, will be played later with All Blacks, who usually give these competitions a swerve, participating.

However, with the inbound tests againstwales and Scotland in July expected to be scrapped NZ Rugby will be desperate to lock some tests into its calendar.

That’s where the real money is. Fixtures against the Wallabies, pending approval from the health authorities, could be played.

If compromises have to be made, the provincial competitions could be sacrificed in some shape or form.

NZ Rugby must be careful. Provincial rugby is no longer the jewel in its crown, but it would be a terrible mistake to underestimate what it offers.

It develops coaches and players aspiring to play Super Rugby and for the All Blacks. This is where it all starts.

In these days of austerity and grim financial forecasts, the provinces know they, like everyone else, have to be prepared to suffer.

NZ Rugby has already scrapped the Heartland Championship and lowergrade competitions, and there have been few complaints.

Now is the time for NZ Rugby to nurture what it has still got, and to do otherwise could havemajor, and potentially devastating, repercussions for the provinces.

Their financialwellbeing, and ability to grow talent, shouldn’t be overlooked. It may not be worth the cost.

There is still uncertainty when players such as Ngane Punivai of Canterbury will be seen in action during the Mitre 10 Cup.