Rugby: Try again, NPC hopefuls told

The New Zealand Rugby Football Union has turned down requests from Nelson Bays and Bay of Plenty for NPC first division status next year.

Nelson Bays beat Bay of Plenty in the second division final this year, after which both applied for promotion.

Neither province met the NZRFU's promotion criteria, which included player strength and depth and financial viability.

NZRFU amateur rugby manager Greg Peters said the criteria covered competitiveness of teams, financial viability and population.

"Both BOP and Nelson Bays acknowledge the areas they need to address, and have put us on notice of their future aspirations."

Nelson Bays chairman Max Spencer said his union would try again next year for promotion to the first division.

"We are proud of our performance record through the grades, obviously culminating in winning division two. We accept we have a lot of work to do to attain the NZRFU benchmark.

"We will use the 2000 season to position ourselves for an application again next year.

"The Nelson Bays board and management will target this outcome with strong determination and in doing so ensure that we give [coach] Bill Liddell and his team the tools they need to again secure the division two championship."

Bay of Plenty chairman Malcolm Dunphy was similarly philosophical.

"While it is disappointing for our players, it was not unexpected or unrealistic from BOP's perspective given the clearly defined prerequisites outlined during meetings with the NZRFU.

"We have been working with the NZRFU on a complete structure of BOP. We are on the right road to getting things sorted, which includes our financial position."

The format for all three NPC competitions will remain unchanged next year.

Ten teams will continue to compete in division one in 2000, with nine and eight teams in division two and three respectively.

The NZRFU said yesterday that the criteria for promotion would be applied to all first division teams at the end of the 2000 season.

Meanwhile, 43 players were named yesterday on the transfer list when player movement was officially revealed for domestic rugby next season.

The deals would mean $370,000 changing hands between provincial unions, compared to $445,000, involving the transfer of 34 players, at this time last year.

By far the largest single transfer figure was the $125,000 Wellington needed to pay Counties Manukau for All Blacks star Jonah Lomu, who announced his move to the capital last week.

Wellington are to lose New Zealand sevens representative Dallas Seymour, who is moving to Christchurch, where his wife, Julie Seymour, a Silver Ferns netballer, has accepted a job.

- NZPA