CRFU, now for a tougher battle
level for the last couple of years, so overall really pleasing.’’
There are around 14,500 players involved in the sport in Canterbury.
Over the last two years there has been an incremental increase of over 10 per cent of female players, with the CRFU matching that growth by investing in that area of the game.
Smail, who has taken a bigger role in the change in community leadership, said no staff had been laid off when it reviewed all parts of the business.
Changes were made to the community team; tweaks were required for the coaching delivery model, junior rep programme, the Mitre 10 campaigns and there was an increased investment into the women’s game.
Given NZ Rugby has a heavy workload already with Super Rugby suspended after the seventh round and the international windows in jeopardy, Mitre 10 is likely to be on the backburner for the moment.
Although the national provincial competitions aren’t slated to start until August, all provincial unions will be anxious about what the future holds; if games are canned, or played in front of no spectators, their revenue streams will be severely compromised.
‘‘It’s got the potential to be significant,’’ Smail acknowledged. ‘‘At the moment are just like everybody else, reacting to the health and safety and wellbeing piece of it before anything else kind of finalises.’’
Unlike the five Super Rugby clubs, who have their players’ salaries paid by NZ Rugby, provincial unions are the paymasters.
Club rugby has also been delayed until April, at the earliest, because of the pandemic. If the competitions can’t start, registration fees won’t be forthcoming.