The bottom three playoff games in premier rugby are unlikely to go ahead as planned.
Alhambra-Union was scheduled to host Zingari-Richmond in the 8 v 9 match at the North Ground this weekend but the visitors have been forced to pulled out of the fixture.
Zingari has been stretched thin by a run of injuries.
It had to borrow a couple of props from the country ranks last weekend just to get through its final Gallaway Trophy game against Kaikorai.
Council of Rugby Clubs (CRC) chairman Paul Dwyer said the side had "about 16 injuries in the last three or four weeks and decided it couldn’t front".
"A lot of those injuries were to front rowers and that is the only reason they have tapered off at the end of the season," he said.
The winner of 8 v 9 was supposed to play the seventh-ranked side, Dunedin, but that game is unlikely to go ahead either.
"It is pretty much guaranteed they will not play that game," Dwyer said.
Last season the bottom three playoff games did not go ahead either.
However, the weekend promises to deliver some exciting playoff rugby.
Competition frontrunner Green Island is hosting Southern at Miller Park, University is at home to Harbour and Taieri will play Kaikorai at Peter Johnstone Park.
The three winning sides and the highest ranked loser will progress through to the semifinals.
"Let’s be honest— it has been hard to pick a winner every week," Dwyer said.
Most of the Otago contracted players are available this weekend.
However, Otago has a pre-season game against Southland on July 23, so it will miss the semifinals but should be available for the club final on July 31.
Dwyer said the CRC planned to send out a questionnaire to players, coaches and administrators this week.
The answers from the survey will help inform the end of season review.
"The questions are about the length of the season, should Otago players be playing, are players happy to play on other days rather than on Saturdays, et cetera, et cetera.
"Then we will have all the information, for when we sit down later on this year to discuss formats for next year and we’ll have informed comment."
Dwyer said a survey was conducted last year but the response was poor.
"We want everybody to fill it in and we will be putting the onus back on the clubs," he said.
Dwyer felt it would be tough to move back to a double round in premier rugby due to the time constraints.
This year, a half round was played before the Gallaway Trophy, but the points did not carry through, which effectively meant the first five weeks of the season were an extended pre-season.
That did not sit well with Dwyer and it is something the CRC will address in its review.
However, retaining volunteers and growing playing
numbers remained the main challenge for the clubs, Dwyer said.
"One of the things we should be trying to look at is how do we get a paid administrator into clubs, because that takes the onus off the volunteers.
"We need to keep the volunteers coming because without the volunteers there is no game."
