North Harbour cancels Steamers game

The Bay of Plenty Steamers have had to find new opponents for Friday's preseason match in Katikati.
North Harbour yesterday pulled out of the scheduled match. Team manager John McKittrick said Harbour were unable to fulfil their commitment because they would have to pay to draft development players into the team.
The Steamers will now play Taranaki at Moore Park, Katikati, on Friday at 2.30pm.
McKittrick said North Harbour were told last Thursday there was the possibility they would not be able to field a team because of an agreement between the New Zealand Rugby Players' Association and the New Zealand Rugby Union.
"It is frustrating all of a sudden you have to cancel a game, which is designed to help develop players - it is a big step up from club rugby to ITM Cup, and this is how you give a fringe player the opportunity to see if they can make that next step."
With the majority of the Harbour players still on Super 15 duty, McKittrick said they were unable to field a full team for Friday.
However, they would be able to field a team for their other preseason games.
NZRPA chief executive Rob Nicol said there were two types of collective contracts for players in the ITM Cup, which all 14 provinces had signed.
The first was a Provincial Union Contract, which paid a minimum retainer of $15,000 to 26 players within a provincial.
The second was a Provincial Union Development Contract given to a first-time player who was not a core part of the squad.
This contract had no minimum payment retainer.
The contract, signed in 2007, states that provincial union development contracted players have to be paid $1000 a week if they are asked to play or train from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday prior to the start of the ITM Cup or at the completion of the competition.
Nicol said the contract was put in place to ensure development players were given the opportunity to find meaningful and full-time work or study when they weren't playing rugby.
"If they are called into the squad it means they have to rejig their lives - potentially losing wages or having to disrupt their study," he said.
The chief executive said provinces were able to request a dispensation but were unaware if Harbour had applied for one.
Bay of Plenty chief executive Mike Rogers said the Steamers hadn't been affected by the change of opponents or the contract rangle.
"We are fielding a team of contracted as well as non-contracted players. So our preparation hasn't been affected too much by it.
"It was important for the [Steamers] and Katikati that a match was played there.
"We've been lucky Taranaki have come to the party. They were supposed to play Hawke's Bay but they have had the same situation.
"So we will now play them two weeks in a row. It will almost like a home-and-away series."
Bay Steamers preseason schedule
Friday, June 24; v Taranaki, Moore Park, Katikati (kickoff 2.30pm)
Wednesday, June 29; v Taranaki, Inglewood (kickoff 2pm)
Tuesday, July 5; v Hawkes' Bay, McLean Park, Napier (kickoff 2pm)
Friday, July 8; v Manawatu, IMG Stadium, Palmerston North (kickoff 2pm).