New Zealand Maori celebrate their centenary this year but, as Michael Brown reports, their future remains uncertain.
Finding the money to put together a New Zealand Maori programme is just one of the challenges for the NZRU.
Another is finding opponents.
The New Zealand Maori will play a New Zealand Barbarians side, England and Ireland in June as part of their centenary celebrations.
It will mark 100 years since the first New Zealand Maori side toured Australia.
In the intervening years, they have played against and often beaten the best sides in the world.
They were inactive, though, in 2009, with the NZRU preferring in a tough economic climate to put money into such areas as the Junior All Blacks. It's still not clear where the Maori side fit into the wider picture.
"Over the last two years, we have had to make some considerable and difficult decisions over funding," NZRU chief executive Steve Tew says.
"This year, there will be no Junior All Blacks and women's programme. Last year, it applied to the Maori, so there has been a fair spread.
"One of the challenges over the last few years [in putting together a Maori programme] is finding opposition for them. There's aren't too many teams putting their hands up to play the New Zealand Maori because of their reputation."
It will be difficult to find a window for the Maori to play games next year, largely because of the Rugby World Cup and a congested programme of Super 15 and NPC rugby.
There's a small gap after the World Cup but it might be hard to persuade a country to play additional games after the tournament and any games scheduled certainly won't include any All Blacks.
Wayne Peters, New Zealand Maori board chairman and a member of the NZRU board, is trying to put together a programme for 2011 and beyond.
"The window for rugby next year is very tight but it is certainly the Maori board's intention to in 2010 secure a programme for Maori rugby internationally for 2011 and beyond," Peters says. "One of the key aspirations of the board is to ensure we achieve some certainty around Maori rugby.
"It's quality rather than quantity. Playing games which are meaningless doesn't, in my view, help Maori rugby. For us, it's about having a meaningful programme both domestically and internationally. The detail around that is still to be worked out and we haven't discussed that with the NZRU."
There was widespread consternation when New Zealand Maori were dropped from the NZRU's programme last year.
It could be argued that funding a team like the Junior All Blacks is more beneficial to the All Blacks because it allows the All Black coaches to see players at a level just below the national side regardless of race.
Countering that, though, is the heritage and history of New Zealand Maori rugby.
A potential avenue to play touring teams remains but continues to be problematical.
The NZRU indicated recently June internationals will return to a three-test series against a touring side rather than three tests against two opponents.
A game against the Maori could be tagged on to that tour either at the start or end but that would elongate a tour and there might not be a desire to meet the Maori midweek.
Likewise, the Maori could return to contesting the Pacific Cup. This, however, was not something Peters supported.
"I don't want to write any potential avenue off but I would like to think Maori rugby could pitch itself at a level a little higher than the Pacific Cup."
A lot of it comes down to funding. The NZRU operate year-to-year and are still working out their programme for 2011. Staging matches isn't cheap and certainly not always profitable and the NZRU has already committed about $300,000 to the three matches for the Maori.
Helping offset those costs around the centenary programme was a deal announced last week with Sealord.
"We have no intention of burdening other people with the funding around Maori rugby," Peters says.
"There's an opportunity for Maori organisations and if they want Maori rugby to be protected at a level they talk about, then clearly their financial support would be hugely welcome. It's not just an issue of relying on the NZRU every time."
Former All Blacks and New Zealand Maori prop Billy Bush suggested it could go further.
"I'm of the view, why not release the Maori team? The NZRU cut costs last year and it meant cutting the Maori team.
"We will always play rugby. The New Zealand union should release the Maori team and let us run it. We could find our own sponsor to fund the team. Surely a big Japanese company or business would take us on. We have beaten everybody and have a pretty good brand.
"I was thinking the other day the Maori could have a team in the Super 14. We play attractive rugby. Or why not have the Maori at the World Cup?"
Of course, Maori rugby operates beyond just the New Zealand Maori side. One in four people playing the game nationwide are said to be Maori and Tew pointed to the work they do at community level as well with iwi and tribes.
"It's a total picture," he said. "Maori playing numbers increased last year, more than the increase in the general population, and we are very proud of that.
"We are all about a game that starts in the community and, while we know the All Blacks and New Zealand Maori jerseys play a significant part, it's just a part of the whole picture."
