NZ Rugby to align Super Rugby and NPC operations

New Zealand Rugby has backed the existing formats of Super Rugby Pacific and the National Provincial Championship as the way forward for men’s high-performance competitions.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) today confirmed the direction of its elite men’s game, with plans to streamline player pathways, consolidate rugby operations in the country’s five major cities and reshape how Super Rugby Pacific attracts fans and generates revenue.

The announcements mean concepts raised at a rugby summit last month that included scrapping Super Rugby Pacific have been rejected.

The proposals retain Super Rugby Pacific and the 14-team National Provincial Championship (NPC), while bringing together Super Rugby and provincial union operations in the same cities to reduce duplication, cut costs and improve alignment between community and professional rugby.

NZR will work with Rugby Australia, the Super franchises and players’ associations to develop changes to Super Rugby Pacific, including discussions around player movement, a competition-wide salary cap and the centralisation of commercial assets across key markets.

Chief executive Steve Lancaster said the organisation wanted to build on the strengths of New Zealand’s existing rugby structure while improving the financial performance of its professional competitions.

“New Zealanders should be proud of what sets us apart as a rugby nation, being the layers in our game from club and school to the NPC, Super Rugby and the All Blacks,” Lancaster said.

“We are making changes to our game from a position of strength, and we have two men’s competitions that support the All Blacks to win, excite fans and players and, with these changes, can be financially successful.”

Lancaster said Super Rugby Pacific needed greater ambition to improve its connection with supporters and increase revenue.

Steve Lancaster: "We are making changes to our game from a position of strength." Photo / Michael Craig

“We’re aligned with Rugby Australia and the Super Rugby clubs that we need people who wake up every day focused on engaging fans, growing revenue and working with broadcasters and the media,” he said.

“We know it’s a great product on the field and it now needs to generate the level of attendance and revenue that it warrants.”

The NPC, which was won by Canterbury this year, will remain a 14-team competition, with NZR emphasising its importance in developing players, coaches and referees, maintaining regional connections and providing opportunities for talent across the country.

The nine regional provincial unions will also have stronger relationships with their Super clubs, alongside protections designed to help talented players develop in their home regions and remain connected to their communities.

NZR high performance director Don Tricker said retaining both competitions was important to ensuring the All Blacks had access to a strong pool of players.

He said Super Rugby had spent 30 years providing opportunities for the country’s best players to compete alongside and against one another, while the NPC remained critical to maintaining depth across 14 teams.

The proposed changes form part of a wider review aimed at reducing costs across New Zealand rugby by 5% and delivering a $20 million annual improvement from 2028.

NZR is also reviewing how community rugby is delivered nationwide, alongside its own structure and operations. The organisation said the broader goal was to free up more money for community rugby, strengthen the financial sustainability of competitions and help retain professional players and coaches in New Zealand.

The direction has been approved by the NZR board, but further work with rugby stakeholders is required before a final board decision. Implementation is expected to begin in 2028.