NPC’s intrigue disappearing as focus switches to schools

OPINION: The relevance of New Zealand’s national provincial competition is eroding as the focus switches to schoolboy rugby.

The lack of spectator numbers at provincial games is hardly surprising - in particular in the bigger centres.

The competition is fast losing the selection intrigue it once provided. There is less and less at stake for players now and that naturally has had an effect on the appeal of the competition in many parts of the country.

It was once the competition which the All Black selectors would cast an eagle eye over and from there the country’s top team would be picked.

The advent of professional rugby in 1996 started the change. Through the evolution of professional rugby we got to a point where All Black players take next to no part in the competition.

People became accustomed to that. Of course, there was still the Super Rugby carrot dangling in front of provincial rugby players