January 22 - 2010 NZRU announce cost cutting

“CHRONICLE OF EVENTS

JANUARY 2010

NZRU confirm that, due to cost-cutting, the Junior All Blacks will play no matches and the women’s NPC competition will not be held this year.”

2011 RUGBY almanac “Chronicle of Events” p.316.

Women’s NPC.

“In January 2010 NZRU announced that the National Provincial Competition (NPC) will have to go due to budget cuts. This has been a shock for many women players especially since it is a World Cup year. Former captain Farah Palmer was one of the women who commented on that.[3] NZRU said women’s domestic rugby is one of many victims of the tight financial times. They have faced a barrage of criticism for their decision. General manager of provincial rugby Neil Sorenson said NZRU is going to replace the competition with camps and trials for the Black Ferns.

After the Black Ferns won the World Cup in 2010 and due to efforts of many rugby players in New Zealand the NPC was re-installed. The Auckland Storm with Emma Jensen captaining the side, won the final against Canterbury 38-12 in Christchurch. It was the Auckland Storm 5th consecutive title.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_women%27s_national_rugby_union_team

Junior All Blacks.

“The Junior All Blacks are considered New Zealand’s ‘second XV’ after the test side, with no age or genealogy restrictions other than the player being eligible for international selection.

The first such team played under the guise of an Under 23 team, with future All Blacks legend Sir Wilson Whineray captaining a squad to Japan in 1958, with this age-grade side playing their last match in 1984.

The Junior All Blacks, who first played officially in 2005, claimed titles in the 2006, 2007 and 2009 World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup – the latter of which was the last time the squad assembled (as of 2014).

For official purposes this team is not considered defunct, any future information regarding the Junior All Blacks will be revealed on allblacks.com.”

http://www.allblacks.com/Teams/Junior