How To Keep New Zealand Rugby Sustainable

Otago's recent demise along with the near-misses with Southland, Waikato and Canterbury in recent times is the clearest sign that the current 2-tier professional rugby system in New Zealand is not working and is eventually going to kill the game.

This is how I believe the game in New Zealand should be run from bottom to top, i.e. club/community rugby all the way to international level. I'm copying the hierachy used in the USA for American football which has proven to be highly successful

Clubs/Schools
- Managed by provincial unions
- Fully amateur
- Broadcasting rights for games should be open to negotiation; with negotiations fully encouraged

FYI, High school football games in Texas are one of the most watched shows in the USA resulting in the hit drama, Friday Night Lights.

Provincial Unions, i.e. NPC
- Become more amateur based
- Only coaching staff and backroom staff paid
- All revenue goes straight to the provincial unions for funding of grassroots rugby
- Introduce transfer fees - only form of revenue in regards to players
- Super rugby players who aren't selected for the All Blacks to play in NPC - they will be paid by Super rugby franchises (let's just say playing NPC rugby is beneficial for the Super rugby franchise)
- Revert to mainly afternoon games, with feature games to be shown in late evening, at night.
- Return to pre-2006 structure - three divisions instead of two separate competitions, i.e. ITM Cup and Heartland Championship

FYI, College football in the USA is far more popular than the NFL despite being fully amateur. All TV revenue goes straight to the colleges, none to the players.

Super Rugby Franchises 
- Fully professional, i.e. the only way to play rugby professionally in New Zealand
- Privately owned entities separate from the NZRU and provincial unions, i.e. franchises like in the USA
- Selection exclusively from NPC clubs but not strictly from the franchise region so that New Zealand's best players are all picked up and become professional
- Expansion of squads to 40 players, resulting in the abolishment of wider training squads. This will ensure players that should be kept in New Zealand are contracted - yes we will miss out on some players who end up taking contracts overseas but then again, we should really be left with the cream of the crop.
- Contracts to start from 1 November and end 31 October thereby covering player's pre-season training, regular season and participation in the NPC regardless of playing time.

In effect, Super Rugby becomes the NFL of New Zealand rugby.

National Representation - All Blacks, NZ Maori, Sevens, Junior All Blacks
- NZRU pays "top up" salaries to players selected for national duty, i.e. All Blacks, NZ Maori, Sevens, Junior ABs
- 15 established All Blacks, i.e. earned 10 caps, entitled to be contracted wholly and exclusively to NZRU, thereby enabling Super Rugby franchise to contract another player in their place. This measure would ensure our very best stay in the country whilst limiting the cost placed on the NZRU.
- Think central contract system.