KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's provinces and franchises have delivered a clear message on how they want the rugby landscape changed.
The country is in agreement that the game can't support 19 professional teams and that the provincial competition has to become semi-professional with a lower salary cap.
The New Zealand Rugby Union working group looking at ways to restructure both the provincial and Super 14 competitions has also been told by the provinces that the current contracting model should be altered in favour of allowing franchises to sign players directly.
Other initiatives that have received strong support are extending the provincial competition beyond its current October end and starting the Super Rugby competition later in the year - possibly mid-to-late March.
Neil Sorensen, the NZRU's professional rugby manager, who has spent two weeks canvassing opinion, says the consultation has given the governing body clear targets to work toward.
The NZRU is aiming to form a vision for the future shape of competitions by September when it meets its Sanzar partners to hear their views. The three nations will then try to meld their individual ambitions into a working proposal to present to News Corporation - the owner of Super 14 and Tri Nations broadcast rights.
While the existing broadcast deal doesn't expire until 2011, the Herald on Sunday has revealed Sanzar and its broadcast partners are aiming to bring forward the restructuring to 2010.
Plummeting viewing figures and the continued player exodus are believed to be symptoms of a stale Super 14 and Tri Nations.
"The views that were emphasised strongly to us are that provinces are worried about club rugby," said Sorensen.
He said everyone wanted a provincial competition window that didn't require players to miss out on club rugby.
"They want to see a two-week gap from the end of club competitions and the start of the provincial competition and depending on whom you talk to, there is a desire to see between eight and 14 teams.
"There is consensus that the existing salary cap [of about $2.1m] is too high and the range people would like to see it drop to is between $400,000 and $1m.
"There were various ideas on how that money could be paid. You could have a flat structure where every player is paid the same - say about $25,000. Or you could go down the cricket model where you have four players on $50,000, five players on $35,000 or whatever and the bulk on $25,000. Or you could just leave it up to each team to spend the money how they like.
"But the crucial point is that it becomes a semi-professional competition and it doesn't need to finish in late October.
"That date has been in place because of the end of season All Black tour but if the All Blacks are no longer in the competition it gives a bit of freedom to move things around."
Such a restructuring would see provincial rugby become a genuine pathway to the Super Rugby competition - almost like the American set-up operating minor and major leagues.
There has been strong feedback urging the NZRU to extend Super Rugby to between 22 and 26 weeks. An extension of that magnitude would allow players to be involved with just one team for the season.
It would also allow for flexibility so those in the All Blacks could finish Super Rugby and go straight into international fixtures, starting with a revamped Tri Nations and then head overseas for the traditional November tour.
A secondary tier of top players could be involved with the Junior All Blacks and/or New Zealand Maori while the option would be available for some to play in the provincial competition. Older, more battle-weary players could opt to play just Super Rugby to allow them an extended conditioning window.
Critical to that vision would be greater generation of revenue through Super Rugby. Clearly the Southern Hemisphere is lagging way behind the money on offer in Europe.
There is also a widespread desire to see the number of All Black tests reduced to 10 per season.
Private enterprise could inject some much-needed funds into Super Rugby, while some franchises would like to see a new model put in place to divide the broadcast money.
Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach said: "We have no problem with the central collection of broadcast revenue but we would like to see more debate on how that money is allocated."
