Tasman lodge legal challenge against NZRU

The Tasman Rugby Union has called in the lawyers and appealed the NZRU's planned culling of the NPC.

In an eight-page letter, sent to NZRU boss Steve Tew on Friday and obtained by The Dominion Post yesterday, Tasman challenges the decision to split the NPC into a first division of 10 teams and a second division of six unions.

Tasman are one of the teams in line for the chop, along with Manawatu, Counties-Manukau and Northland.

In the letter, Tasman argues the decision "is not in the best interest of rugby in New Zealand", because it will exclude large numbers of players, administrators and the viewing public from the top tier of provincial rugby.

Tasman also claims the decision "did not have a mandate from provincial unions and was not the subject of an adequate or meaningful discussion".

The letter, signed off by Fletcher Vautier Moore lawyers, says the NZRU failed to have proper regard to the impact on relegated unions and was not the "appropriate necessary response to the request for a financially sustainable competition".

The NZRU has maintained cutting the NPC is necessary because it is leaking too much money.

But there are growing whispers the cull could be put on hold till after the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand to prevent provincial infighting becoming an unwelcome distraction.

- © Fairfax NZ News