Former All Blacks trio Jeff Wilson, John Afoa and Aaron Cruden have all backed the continuation of the NPC after Dave Rennie\u2019s recent comments.<\/p>\n
New Zealand\u2019s head coach last week described it as the \u201cbest provincial competition in the world\u201d despite it having its critics.<\/p>\n
With the purse strings potentially needing to tighten due to the financial concerns NZ Rugby<\/a> face, there has been plenty of debate over the structure of the game in the country.<\/p>\n Debate over NPC\u2019s future<\/p>\n Some therefore believe that the NPC needs to change or possibly be axed altogether but Rennie<\/a> has given his backing, which Wilson believes is crucial.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is probably the most important comment for me around the NPC because that\u2019s the All Blacks coach,\u201d he said on The Breakdown.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got an affiliation to this competition because that\u2019s where he started his professional coaching career.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he\u2019s saying that, he sees it as an important piece of the pathway. If you\u2019re going to develop into an All Black, there\u2019s a level there and a layer there that other countries don\u2019t have, so I think the NPC is clearly important.<\/p>\n \u201cI think New Zealand Rugby will be listening, I\u2019m fascinated when they start going through what their future\u2019s going to look like.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s important, if he\u2019s seeing that as a critical part of our game in New Zealand, we have to find a way to keep it in some shape or form.\u201d<\/p>\n Dave Rennie gives blunt verdict on the NPC and opens up on New Zealand\u2019s Super Rugby Pacific participation<\/a><\/p>\n Ex-All Blacks prop Afoa, who is currently on the coaching staff at Counties Manukau, then chimed in and questioned whether it would benefit the game in New Zealand if they only had Super Rugby to develop players.<\/p>\n \u201cHow would it work if we just had Super teams and academies? There are not enough eyes looking because there are so many guys who are late developers who come through the NPC,\u201d he said.<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018A lot more heated discussions\u2019<\/p>\n Cruden agreed with his fellow former All Black and was pleased that Rennie spoke up in support of the competition, but admits that it will continue to be debated fiercely.<\/p>\n \u201cI love it. With what Rens has said there, he wants to build strong foundations and, as you say, New Zealand Rugby will be listening,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve said it before this season, but club rugby and NPC have been the heartbeat of New Zealand rugby and if there\u2019s just Super Rugby and then academies, how does that mix? How does it work?<\/p>\n \u201cThere are going to be a lot more heated discussions over the next 18 months.\u201d<\/p>\n