Reduce the attrition of NZ derbies, says Cooper

THEY’RE what whets the appetite for most fans each weekend, but Chiefs coach Colin Cooper is calling on Sanzaar to reduce the amount of New Zealand derbies in Super Rugby.

Speaking after his side’s 25-13 defeat to the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday night, Cooper has now seen enough in his return to believe that the show can’t go on in its current form.

The all-Kiwi matchups are the most engaging of affairs though – hotly-contested and so often down to the wire, mixing extreme speed and skill with absolute willingness and brutality.

This year, with the competition reduced from 18 teams to 15, the number of derbies has increased. From playing six among their 15 regular-season games the past two years, teams