New Zealand Rugby Union management have come under heavy fire from Counties Manukau chairman Matthew Newman for ruining the game of rugby .
The NZRU board will debate whether to confirm a ten-team Air New Zealand Cup competition next year, despite legal challenges being issued by Tasman and Counties Manukau.
Newman says the NZRU top brass have no idea what they are doing to the game.
"If we look at the individuals running New Zealand rugby from a management point of view, they come from that professional piece of the game and what we have seen over this last several months is a complete lack of understanding and disconnection from rugby people". he told Newztalk ZB.
Newman says the ten-team situation has been ideologically driven as it is something that would clearly have the support of the "favoured" four or five teams.
