the Air New Zealand Cup match between Auckland and Manawatu at Eden Park on September 13, 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Doug Teitjens of Manawatu is tackled during the Air New Zealand Cup match between Auckland and Manawatu at Eden Park on September 13, 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand



AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Isaac Thompson of Manawatu kicks a penalty during the Air New Zealand Cup match between Auckland and Manawatu at Eden Park on September 13, 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand.



AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - SEPTEMBER 13: Rob Foreman of Manawatu pulls the jersey of Peter Saili of Auckland during the Air New Zealand Cup match between Auckland and Manawatu at Eden Park on September 13, 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand.


A winning argument: Air NZ Cup




By tvnz.co.nz's Chris Matthews and Max Bania

Source: ONE Sport

We are currently witnessing the best Air NZ Cup to date but at the end of the season the NZRU will cut an unlucky few. Two of tvnz.co.nz's sport writers go head-head in a debate that has incensed the rugby community.

14 teams for life
By Chris Matthews

This season has seen a provincial revival in New Zealand's national game and Kiwis are voting with their feet and their TV remotes.

After six exhilarating rounds of the Air NZ Cup television audiences are up significantly. It's reported viewing numbers have increased by 65% from last season and the number of people that watched Auckland's challenge for the Ranfurly Shield against Wellington last month outnumbered any of the matches in the opening five rounds of this year's Super 14.

We've seen some impressive crowds, too. Near on 12,000 watched the battle of the Kaimai Ranges between Bay of Plenty and Waikato at the Mount while 8,000 bucket heads packed into Palmerston North last month to watch their local heroes upset Otago.

Then there was the bizarre sight of 6,000 people crammed into Kerikeri Park to watch Northland play Auckland, which is even more remarkable when you consider only 5,000 live in the small Bay of Islands town.

These figures will only grow as the competitions hits its climax, and it all equals cold, hard cash for the NZRU coffers and the 14 provincial unions. But hold the phone. The NZRU will cut four teams at the end of the season in the name of, cough, financial sustainability.

Well, it might time for the big wigs in Wellington to make another u-turn. Numbers are up because we're witnessing better rugby than what the Super 14 and even the international arena is throwing up.

The Super 14 centres can no longer guarantee victory over the smaller unions. In fact, after six rounds, Bay of Plenty is leading the pack, having already beaten Waikato and Canterbury this season, while Tasman, Manawatu, Northland and even Counties Manukau have all had their moments.

Four of these five teams will be demoted and while there are arguments for the wrangling Tasman union to be shown the door, remember, this is a union that has consistently performed well on the field.

However the real travesty of this whole ordeal rips at the core of our provincial game. If Manawatu is demoted, then the next Aaron Cruden, or the actual one for that matter, will have little other choice but to chase his dream in the big lights of the elite few. The next Jonah Lomu or Leila Masaga will follow suit too.

It may have taken a few years for these young stars to emerge from all corners, but now that they have, we have an even-playing field. A playing field that should not be broken.

Premier decision
By Max Bania

Reports of provincial rugby's death have been greatly exaggerated.

The spectacular first six rounds of Air New Zealand Cup rugby have been like a breath of fresh air; tainted only by the NZRU's decision to reduce the number of competing teams from 14 to 10 next year.

But if there's any truth to the old saying that if you love something, set it free, then the culling of four weaker sides will prove another adage: Whatever doesn't kill you will only make you stronger.

Clearly there are two teams that don't deserve to be in the top tier. Counties, because they aren't good enough; and Tasman, because their founding unions continue to behave like a pair of pre-schoolers, ignoring multiple warnings to share their toys or else there will be none for either of them.

That leaves two more desperately unlucky teams for the drop, but whoever they are can take solace in the fact that their stay in the Heartland Championship could well be short-lived.

The long-called-for return to a promotion/relegation system between the divisions will invigorate the competition between lower division teams and ensure there are no meaningless games in the top tier.

Whereas late season matches between also-rans currently represent little more than opposed training runs, the threat of dropping down a division would have teams scrapping to the bitter end to stay up. Imagine the final few weeks of the English Premiership, but fought to the death, and you'll get the idea.

And just for once, isn't it nice that the administrators have seen some sense and reduced the size of a competition?

The "less is more" policy adopted so successfully in American football not only imbues more meaning into each game, but it reduces the already hefty strain on the modern rugby player. And let's not forget that before Super 14 rugby pranced into town, the hugely popular old NPC was contested between just nine or 10 teams.

It will no doubt be an unpopular decision - indeed, many will view it as yet another NZRU backflip - but in the long run it will prove to be the perfect compromise between ensuring the quality of the competition whilst retaining the romance.

Should the NZRU reconsider their proposed restructure? Feel free to comment below.


source : http://tvnz.co.nz
credit photo : Gettyimages