New Zealand Rugby has cut a swath through its domestic competitions, saving upwards of $20 million in the process, but not guaranteeing any first-class fixture will go ahead this season.
The national union announced as part of the tough financial climate it was facing and to help secure the future of the sport, it would cancel all provincial representative rugby tournaments below the Mitre 10 Cup and Farah Palmer Cup.
The cancellations include the 2020 Heartland Championship, the Jock Hobbs Memorial National Under 19 Tournament, the national sevens tournament and all provincial union representative rugby tournaments.
That means age group rugby tournaments will be culled for the coming year as the national body looks to buckle down costs while under the huge financial pressure caused by the Covid-19 outbreak.
With the game under lockdown for at least another three weeks and perhaps more, Robinson said it was a very challenging time.
He felt it would not be a huge blow financially for the Heartland unions, as most of them were in good health. He said the Heartland unions were supportive of the move and all the stakeholders were constantly in dialogue over what could be done in the current environment.
He said it was about $20 million which would be taken out of the rugby space. It was a big decision to make, but one which was totally supported.
"It’s a blow for the Heartland Unions to lose their much-loved championships.
"Their top-level teams are the pride of their communities and it was a courageous decision by them in difficult times.
"The cancellation in 2020 will be a loss for local players and fans. It will no doubt be felt keenly by many," Robinson said in a statement.
North Otago won the Heartland Championship last year, but will not get a chance to defend its title this season.
Robinson said if things turned around there was a chance some games could be played in the Heartland unions.
He could not guarantee the Mitre 10 Cup or Farah Palmer Cup would go ahead.
