Gerard Rushton: mid-Canterbury rugby union chair hopeful over NZ Rugby governance reform - Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

There's optimism out of the provincial unions that they'll get what they want when New Zealand Rugby's governance saga likely comes to a head later this month.

A Special General Meeting on May 30 will vote on a fully independent model backed by the national body - or another backed by the unions.

The provinces want at least three future members to have served a minimum of two years on a provincial board.

Mid-Canterbury Rugby chair Gerard Rushton says they have plenty of support.

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