World Cup build-up will deny NPC up to 45 players

By WYNNE GRAY

All Black plans for the World Cup may remove up to 45 players from some rounds of the NPC.

Provincial unions have agreed with the player-release plan put forward by coach John Mitchell, a scheme endorsed by the New Zealand Rugby Union in their list of priorities this season.

Top of the list is to give every assistance to the All Blacks for their World Cup campaign in Australia.

Mitchell's squad of 30 players will be announced - probably late in August - with an extra 15 potential replacements who will be asked to train for the campaign.

The idea is to gather players for five training camps in Whangarei, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Nelson and Methven for parts of weeks starting on September 1.

Some of the extended group of 45 who are returning from injury and need match play, or are superfluous, will be released for NPC games.

"Compromises will be needed," NZRFU chief executive Chris Moller said in discussing the NPC dilution.

The priority this year was winning the World Cup and the provinces had accepted that strategy in releasing any players.

"As well as becoming more difficult to win on the field, the World Cups has become increasingly complex in terms of legal and financial arrangements," Moller added.

The NZRFU had set up a team, headed by chief financial officer Therese Walsh, to work with the Australian Rugby Union and Rugby World Cup Ltd on this.

Next in order of importance was sorting out the renewal of the Sanzar deal with News Ltd that would expire at the end of 2005.

Almost 50 per cent of the NZRFU's income was derived from that contract, and a project team would be appointed to work towards the next round of negotiations.

The third significant task for the NZRFU was to review all domestic competitions, Moller said.

"It will be comprehensive and encompass issues relating to the professional and amateur game, cost structures, competition structures and timings, the role of the NZRFU and provincial unions and player-coach pathways."

That review, to begin mid-year, and the work on broadcasting were inextricably linked.