Hawke's Bay in NPC damage control

After the comments of its chief executive were at odds with the party line, the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union hopes its written proposal for admission to the 2006 NPC premier division will sway the vote.

Much of the decision will rest on the ability of the 14 competing unions to meet criteria set out by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU), but there will still be an emotive component to the bid.

Chairman Richard Hunt, in a presentation to the NZRU tomorrow, will talk about how much premier division status means to Hawke's Bay and how strongly the community is behind it.

In that context, chief executive Chris O'Reilly's recent comments were damaging.

In an effort to enlist as much support as possible, O'Reilly suggested Hawke's Bay's bid was doomed and their chances of gaining admission to the new competition negligible.

But Atkinson said the HBRU was united in its belief its bid was extremely strong.

"We all agree, including Chris, that we've got an excellent chance," Atkinson said. "I'm confident that the board have submitted an extremely strong application.

"We're absolutely bloody certain that over the last five years we have been preparing Hawke's Bay rugby to be in this position."

Judged against the strict criteria set out by the NZRU, Atkinson ranked Hawke's Bay ninth of the 14 bids, although Hunt felt any province outside the five Super 12 franchises was probably in the same boat.

Atkinson reiterated how disastrous failure to make the new competition would be for Hawke's Bay rugby.

"For those unions that miss out, it is basically the end of professional rugby in those unions for the next three years at least," he said.

"At the moment we spend around $300,000 on player payments in Hawke's Bay and the new amateur competition actually precludes payments to players.

"So the ability for us to retain even the sort of team we've got now will almost be lost ... and our ability to keep young players through the academy will be difficult."

Hunt added that people continued to assume that 12 teams would be admitted to the new competition. That was simply the maximum number allowed.

Atkinson agreed, hinting that there was a likelihood that eight or 10 unions would be selected, rather than 12.

That could open the door for legal action from some provinces to miss out but Atkinson said it would be premature for Hawke's Bay to make noises in that direction.

"At this stage our focus is totally behind the application."

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY