Finally formalising the marriage of the Mum and Dad of so many of our country’s superstars. It’s such a logical partnership that many would have assumed it already existed.
Up until now though, it’s been a relationship primarily navigated by the athletes, rather than administrators.
Whether they acknowledged Touch New Zealand (TNZ) or not, their athletes have long informed New Zealand rugby’s style of play.
The footwork, the width, the aversion to kicking.
Many of the All Blacks and Black Ferns first touches of an oval ball were within a set of six.
Many more get the call up to dust off the old boots in retirement.
Playing in the lunchtime social league, the masters grade or with the whānau team. A game for life is what TNZ offers and NZR wants a piece of it.
Accessibility breeds this familiarity and so the low barrier entry of a non-contact sport is something rugby has been playing with for a while.
T1 was the latest offering launched last year, a version of rugby that looks a lot like a team run. It has all the beats of a typical rugby game minus the contact.
Despite the push from NZR, their website now only features two tournaments scheduled in the provinces this year.
Rather than try to reinvent the wheel again, they are now turning to touch.
With this relationship NZR can now sow a wide range of connections back to the grassroots.
New CEO Steve Lancaster spent years as the head of community rugby. That his first major announcement is an offering to his origin is no mistake.
But many will be hoping this signals a renewed focus on the rugby that most New Zealanders play.
The advantages to rugby are obvious but they are only half of the deal. TNZ has signed this agreement at a critical moment for their sport.
The Touch World Cup is coming to New Zealand in 2028 for the very first time. This new relationship with New Zealand Rugby will be leveraged when it comes to the delivery of this tournament.
It offers better co-ordination on scheduling, broadcasting, sponsorship but most importantly, high performance.
Rugby’s nationwide high-performance hub system is something TNZ would be keen to tap into as they prepare for the big event.
It all looks good on paper with these two organisations coming together for the good of the game.
The hope will be that the integration settles into something reminiscent of the relationship between 15s and 7s – allowing athletes to flow to the format that is most suitable for their skillset and current ambition.
However, the worry is that rather than merger, it becomes an acquisition – one code being cannibalised for the aims of the other.
If they want to know how to navigate this new relationship, NZR and TNZ need look no further than their athletes.
Those that have already gotten the most out of both codes.
Picking up the oval ball and playing six more or the full 80. Having the best time, either way.
Alice Soper is a sports columnist for the Herald on Sunday. A former provincial rugby player and current club coach, she has a particular interest in telling stories of the emerging world of women’s sports.