How the Mitre 10 Cup is shaping up as New Zealand's most important provincial competition in years
Fans should get behind Mitre 10 Cup more than ever in 2020, and not just because All Blacks will be putting on their provincial stripes for a much longer stint than has become the norm.
Now that the North vs South glorified All Blacks trial is out of the way, focus should quickly turn to what is shaping up to be the most meaningful season of Mitre 10 Cup rugby in some time.
It’s easy to point to the fact that some of the country’s top All Blacks are set to play provincial as the key reason for increased excitement this year, but as always, it’s about far more than that.
Despite the ever insistent push of high performance into rugby at certain high schools of popular pedigree, Mitre 10 Cup is still the first big step into the professional environment for so many of the youngsters that will get what’s being marketed as a privilege to play alongside some of their idols who they’ve only ever seen on TV in the black jersey.
But who’s privilege is it really? One could argue it is the privilege of those All Black players themselves, because this might be the one and only time in their careers that they can make a genuine impact on the game at a community level.
That, of course, will come down to how much New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the unions themselves are able to work in that area while also ensuring that the competition retains something close to appointment viewing each week despite delivering it in a scenario still foreign to all.
Mitre 10 Cup has especially struggled in recent years from the all-important aspect of mindshare and hasn’t been marketed particularly well by either New Zealand Rugby or certain unions themselves.
That factor has been a massive shame because the quality of what’s been on show in Mitre 10 Cup has always deserved far greater importance, be that for the hardcore rugby fan or the casual. For a while now, those responsible in the Mitre 10 Cup marketing department appeared to not understand that, even now, this particular competition (once simply called the NPC) sits deep in the hearts of many rugby fans in the all too often forgotten rugby heartlands.
In fact, provincial rugby is the thing for these rugby fans year in year out.
There are rugby fans, larger in number than many in the rugby punditry space would realize, who care more about their club and provincial sides than whatever is happening in Super Rugby and regardless of how successful the All Blacks are.
It’s easy, perhaps even understandable, for many of us to look at provincial rugby and the pride of the game in the heartlands through rose-tinted glasses when there is so much else to consume on the rugby front each year.
Furthermore, don’t forget one very important fact. None of the rugby at the provincial level, Mitre 10 Cup included, actually happens without the respective finances coming from Super and particularly everything that brand All Blacks trickles down.
Tasman have named an impressive squad that features four All Blacks, 21 Super Rugby stars and a German teenager to defend their #Mitre10Cup crown.https://t.co/6zdtQf42Yb
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 5, 2020
COVID-19 and its disruption to the normal rugby calendar may have thrown competitions such as the Mitre 10 Cup into increased difficulty on that financial front, it’s also given the competition an all-important attention lifeline which can only come from having some of the sports’ biggest names being a part of it.
That aspect has been needed for some time, but don’t underestimate the financial difficulty many provinces are in right now.
The apparent limitless buying power of teams such as Tasman and Canterbury don’t paint an accurate picture because many provinces have been hit massively in terms of finances as a result of the pandemic. Like NZR themselves had to, many provinces let go a sizable chunk of their operating staff in 2020, and if you were to take a look at the books, you’d realise just how close it came to there being no Mitre 10 Cup at all in 2020.
With crowds set to be ruled out for at least the first week of competition due to New Zealand being in Level 2 restrictions, the financial returns that would’ve been hoped for are already taking a serious hit whilst hope remains that Sky Television bring in sizeable viewership counts to somewhat lessen their costing scenario to broadcast all the games at different venues around the country.
It’s hard to see how the unions themselves can have any financial targets for as long as no crowds are permitted through the turnstiles.
But for as grim as the financial situation will remain, and despite all the other uncertainty, fans should be doing all they can to get behind the Mitre 10 Cup in this, a rugby season like no other.
The players certainly have, the likes of Liam Messam and Nasi Manu have dropped a lot of other priorities to come back and play for a fraction of their worth, and they’re doing that because they’ve got nothing more to do other than give back. Messam has spoken highly of his drive to give back to the Waikato and once some of the current All Black stars get a chance to don their provincial stripes over the next few weeks, you’ll find that many of them will treat it as a breath of fresh air.
We, as rugby fans if nothing else, should treat this competition with the same gusto.
Comments on RugbyPass
Actually the era defining moment came a few years earlier. February 2002 to be precise, when Michael D Higgins as finance minister at the time introduced his sports persons tax relief bill to the dial. As the politicians of the day stated “It seems to be another daft K Club frolic born in Kildare amongst the well-paid professional jockeys with whom the Minister plays golf” and that the scheme represented “a savage uncaring vision of Ireland and one that should be condemned”. The irfu and Leinster would be nowhere near the position they are in today without this key component of the finances.
2 Go to commentsIt is crystal clear that people who make such threats on line should be tried and imprisoned. Those with responsibility in social media companies who don’t facilitate this should be convicted. In real life, I have free speech to approach someone like Reinach and verbally threaten him. I am risking a conviction or a slap but I could do it. In the old days, If someone anonymously threatened someone by letter the police would ask and use evidence from the postal system. Unlike the Post, social media companies have complete instant and legal access to the content in social media. They make money from the data, billions. Yet, they turn a blind eye to terrorism, Nazi-ism and industrial levels of threats against individuals including their address and childrens schools being published online all from ananoymous accounts not real speech. They claim free speech. The fault is with the perps but also social media companies who think anonymous personas posting death threats constitutes free speech.
1 Go to commentsSo if this ain’t the best Irish team ever then who exactly is? I don’t remember any other Irish team being this good & winning a series in the Land of the Long White Cloud. Yes I may rip them often for 8 X QF RWC exits & twice not even making it to the QF, but they’re a damn good team who many think can only improve, including me!
67 Go to commentsNot a squeek out of Leinster for weeks about this match. So quiet. The first team have been quitely building for this encounter under Nienaber’s direction. All fresh, all highly motivated. They are expecting a season’s best performance from Northhampton. They will match that. They will be fresher and apparently they will have 80,000 out of the 83,000 shouting for them. I do expect Northhampton to turn up big time. Not to be missed. On a tangent it is evident how the loss of a few Premiership teams has in some respect helped other Premiership teams and England. More quality over less teams makes the teams better, which has a knock on effect on England. Not the only factor contributing to England’s rise but one of them.
2 Go to commentsOur very own monster teddy bear Ox😍💪
17 Go to commentsThis is might be the most generalised, entitled, patronising, out-of-pocket cultural indictment on a group of people you’ll ever see on what is supposedly a sports publication. I can only assume the author is weak like a woman or homosexual. I’m feeling an incredible range of emotions but I am not quite sure how to express them. I might go beat up a hockey player - assuming that’s okay with Duane and the boys? 🙂
9 Go to commentsBest thing the Welsh clubs could do is apply to join Gallagher prem surely be more exciting matches for there support than they have now.
2 Go to commentsRugbyPass writers are useless! you guys should get a real job because you all suck at writing about rugby!!!
9 Go to commentslooking forward to RWC2027 …. Boks on mission impossible for the Three-in-a-row, ABs to prove they being on par, France wishing to crown the “DuPont-era”, Ireland knocking on the Semi-Door ….. until then we’ll probably have to deal with Weird Ben’s fantasy-RWC23 (fun fact is, the drivel always creates a flooding of comments) …..
221 Go to commentsBen Smith you really make some good points in this article, the Springboks were not close to perfect and good still beat the All Blacks, imagine if they were as good as they were against France what a hiding the All Blacks would have gotten… maybe another Twickenham drubbing
221 Go to commentsIt is a good argument to keep the Rebels for one more year but also isnt this just opening the door as well for keeping them beyond 2025. If they can create some sort of financial stability in the next year and if their performances lift as they have this season then how would RA even cull them after that? It might be the most cost effective decision at this stage and perhaps many people are guilty of keeping relationships going because of the cost to decouple but then again when does that ever work out well?
24 Go to commentsDear Ben Smith you are a genius! God please become the next all blacks coach that can take on the mighty BOKS. Your rugby acumen is second to none - imagine your dads sperm bounced as unfortunately as that oval ball did….we would not be blessed with your presence. Just as the all blacks were missing a man you too are missing a chromosome for 80% of your life, so your insights are not only profound but ring true from your own experiences. Just as the TMO interfered with citing an illegal pass I am sure your local authorities interfere with your illegal passes you make on women - How dare they!!! God forbid that rugby be officiated fairly. You are the right man for the job. Next all blacks coach is here ladies and gentlemen Miss Ben Smith (He/She/They/IT)
221 Go to commentsHuge engine this guy and great to see him back ..The amount of clean outs he does at the ruck are ridiculous !!
3 Go to commentsThe level of desperation in this article is just embarrassing.
221 Go to commentsSome silly trolling in the comments.
9 Go to commentsEverywhere you turn some irish journo is advocating Ireland as the greatest, reasoning that the wc is a 4 year cycle event so, they say wc doesn’t matter it’s the rugby in between that should account for the accolade. If there was no wc then some substance could be gained, however in my opinion the moment that defined Ireland’s fate against the abs was 37 phases of repeated head bashing against a brick wall. If a change in strategy or a tinker with the game plan was executed then things could've been vastly different. And to point a finger the let down was in the hands of the number 10.
67 Go to commentsI have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
24 Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
67 Go to commentsLove watching
1 Go to commentsThe Melbourne Rebels lineout is a complete disaster so not surprisingly a kiwi coach of the Wallabies hires the worst lineout coach in the country and a foreigner to boot. No surprises whatsoever here…….
6 Go to comments