Four teams in New Zealand's top flight provincial rugby competition will be relegated into a newly formed second division in 2010 as teams struggle to generate revenue and cut costs in the global financial crisis.
A number of provinces have struggled financially in the championship since it was expanded in 2006, forcing the New Zealand Rugby Union to launch a long-running investigation into changing the competition.
A review will be conducted at the end of this year's championship, with each team ranked according to weighted criteria which includes population, financial strength, player numbers and development, and on-field results.
All of the criteria will be averaged over four years, between 2006 and 2009.
Those ranked 11 to 14 would be relegated to the second-tier "Division One", NZRU chief executive Steve Tew said on Wednesday.
Two teams from the third-tier "Heartland Championship" amateur competition will join them in a six-team competition. The third-tier competition would also be reduced to 10 teams.
"There is a real incentive for provincial unions to perform both on and off the field in 2009 as these results will be part of the assessment criteria," Tew said. "Similarly, for those provinces that do play in Division One in 2010, there is a pathway back via promotion-relegation."
Tew said up to four Heartland Championship sides had expressed interest in playing in Division One next year.
The top-tier national provincial championship will consist of round robin play with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals.
Division One will feature each team playing home and away fixtures. The top two sides meet in the final.
The last-placed team in the national championship would be relegated and the winner of the Division One final promoted.
Tew said promotion/relegation between Division One and the Heartland Championship was still being discussed.
The chairman of Manawatu, which was last-placed last season, says a new Division One competition would be a poor consolation prize for being relegated.
Tony Murphy says his union is now managing to match its costs and revenue and is not conceding defeat.
The 2009 national provincial championship begins on 30 July.
