All Blacks coach Dave Rennie is calling on the powers that be to save the NPC, as NZ Rugby considers changes to the country's domestic competitions.

Rennie says the provincial competition is a vital part of the game's fabric, history and identity.

"I'm a massive fan of NPC. It's tribal," Rennie said.

"You ask most rugby supporters, I reckon, throughout the country, and they love that competition. You get to support players whose father and their grandfather maybe also wore the colours. And so it's a real point of difference for us."

His comments come as NZ Rugby (NZR) looks to reduce costs by $20 million a year and weighs up major changes to the domestic game, with proposals including replacing the NPC or combining it with Super Rugby.

Rennie said the NPC's strength also lay in its traditions, unlike South Africa's Currie Cup which he said has become a glorified Under-23 tournament.

"When you look across the rest of the world, everyone is envious of the fact that we can have such a high, high quality provincial competition. You look at the quality of the NPC this year, it's been excellent, it's a vital part of our fabric and has to be maintained."

The importance of the NPC has been perfectly illustrated in recent weeks, as it has provided a platform for All Blacks returning to rugby.

Scott Barrett played his first game of 2026 last weekend for Taranaki against Hawke's Bay, a 50-minute hit-out which was enough to see him brought back into the All Blacks.

Shannon Frizell has also been recalled after turning out for Tasman ahead of the Bledisloe Cup series.

The NPC is close to Rennie's heart, having both played and coached in the competition.

He led the Lions to a title in 2000, in what is regarded as one of the greatest NPC finals ever played, when Wellington overcame Canterbury 34-29.

But while the 2026 season has produced many of the competition's traditional features - smaller unions upsetting the cities, Ranfurly Shield fever, a tight table and try-fests - attendance remains a concern in some of the country's bigger centres.

Regions including Northland, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki and Tasman have attracted strong local support, while some matches in bigger centres have struggled to draw crowds.

Almost 20,000 turned up for the first shield defence of the Taniwha against the Mako, while Counties Manukau vs Wellington is estimated to have drawn fewer than 2000, with Wellington Rugby not releasing the official number.

The competition for television audiences is also fierce.

An NZR report found that New Zealanders were spending 28 million hours watching the NRL, against Super Rugby's 19m and 14m for NPC.

While the NPC is entrenched in New Zealand rugby history, its future may be under threat.

NZR said the current financial model for the NPC, based on conservative revenue growth, was unsustainable and they hoped to be able to bring a final proposal regarding the domestic competitions to their board meeting in December.