A push to get a rugby sevens team back on the national stage will be backed by the Wanganui Rugby Union.
The union voted to fund the push at the board's March meeting and there are several options open.
Union chief executive Dale Cobb said yesterday a proposal by the Bay Of Plenty union to host a Heartland-style sevens event in Rotorua next year would suit Wanganui.
Traditionally the Pub Charity Rugby Sevens national event was held annually in Queenstown and had posed problems for any potential Wanganui side seeking entry.
"We have had to perform well at regional level to make the national Pub Charity competition in the past and the regional level is extremely competitive. The Hurricanes franchise in the Central Region is very strong and we have struggled to make it through to the national competition. We have attempted to secure wild card entries in the past, but they have traditionally gone to South Island teams partly because they were closer to Queenstown," Cobb said.
"But with Bay Of Plenty proposing a Heartland-style national competition in Rotorua Wanganui would be assured a spot at national level.
"The proposed Heartland-style sevens however, would be held two or three weeks after the final of the 15-aside competition which would affect the ability of some of our potential sevens players to compete. Some of them may be the New Zealand Heartland 15-aside squad and would be unavailable."
However, Cobb said the Wanganui Union would continue to pursue moves to get a team into the nationals even if the old Pub Charity sevens format continued under Bay Of Plenty.
The union would fully fund the push, although Cobb said he was not in a position to divulge the potential cost at this stage.
"Out next step is to advertise for a coach and management team, to ensure we are being transparent.
"We already have interest from a couple of high-profile people to get those jobs."
Names already bandied around include successful former Heartland 15-aside coach Guy Lennox with police inspector Chris Bensemann as manager.
Lennox confirmed yesterday he would consider throwing his hat in the ring once the job had been advertised.
National sevens exposure could do a lot to put Wanganui players on the national map through New Zealand sevens guru Gordon Tietjens and mainstream sports coverage.
Cobb pointed to recent success stories like Michael Fitzgerald with the Chiefs and Waisake Naholo transferring to Taranaki and into the sevens limelight as examples of the quality of players here.
"There's definitely room for that and we see ourselves as a feeder union. The national sevens rugby is televised live, so there's scope to get major exposure."
And with the induction of rugby sevens to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro it would not be inconceivable for a Wanganui player to be scouted when playing at national level.
Often struggling to get Super Rugby players released for his squads, Tietjens has used the Queenstown sevens as a fertile nursery to discover and foster young talent propelling them on to the world stage. Now his focus will be on the Rotorua competition.