The New Zealand Rugby Football Union have described the IRB's announcement today of a cross-hemisphere challenge next season as "ludicrous".

NZRFU chairman Murray McCaw was appalled that the announcement, that could also see a rugby league style world club championship being held, was made without proper consultation.

He said the proposals could jeopardise the work that had been done towards establishing a more rationalised global season, that he said could not be threatened, and did not take the key factor of player welfare into account.

"Both the SANZAR member unions and the Six Nations unions are working in a reasoned and rational manner to move towards this objective which will benefit the game everywhere," Mr McCaw said.

"It's not a piecemeal approach. We cannot afford to have this process threatened by something that appears on the surface to be little more than publicity seeking.

"The IRB doesn't contract players and it has no right to interfere in financial arrangements between unions so I would have to question whether such a game is possible at present.

"The suggestion that it might be played next year, just a year out from a World Cup is ludicrous. That's a time when everyone will be looking to reduce the workload on their players rather than adding to it. New Zealand's delegate to the IRB has confirmed to us that the IRB Council has not approved a North/South game," Mr McCaw said.

The success of the current Lions Tour to Australia prompted the announcement of a northern versus southern hemisphere game in Melbourne today.

On Thursday SARFU chief executive Rian Oberholzer emphasised that his body would make the decisions about where their players will play and said the IRB won't be allowed to force them into participation.

"We are unhappy with the announcement of a proposed Southern/Northern Hemisphere game," said Oberholzer in a statement. "We were aware that the IRB chairman had been asked to investigate this possibility, but we were never informed that any decisions had been made, or that any announcement would be made.

"This was never cleared with SARFU and we are unhappy that we were not consulted. We will not be forced to participate in these fixtures as we look after the interests of our own players."

NZRFU Chief Executive David Rutherford, a member of the IRB Working Party, does not believe the IRB should regulate non-international but agreed that "matches of an international nature" like the Barbarians versus England might be a matter the working party.

"New Zealand's position is simple. The work being done on the schedule for the season is of paramount importance as is the work being done within SANZAR," he said.

"It has already been agreed by the Working Party and within SANZAR that player welfare is a prime concern, that limiting not adding to the number of international games for any player is important and that a minimum eight week break be provided for players.

"A number of these issues will be considered when SANZAR considers its consultant's report on the structure of the season next week. It was also agreed that we should make more provision for traditional tours with mid-week matches because they are beneficial to all unions."

A statement from the NZRFU read: "The IRB authorised Mr Pugh at its April meeting to establish whether there was a basis for North/South matches and to ascertain the exact position relating to proposals to hold such a match. The IRB was concerned about the assembling of Barbarians teams for festival matches and wanted this addressed by reference to the IRB's criteria and schedule of tours and tournaments.

"The Board agreed that the IRB Tours and Tournaments Working Party should undertake a careful and general examination of the current invitation team situation and act accordingly. No such careful consideration has taken place. The IRB working party discussed the matter in June when the IRB Chairman raised the issue of the North/South game and the Barbarians.

"These issues were raised in the context of recognition of the reality that smaller rugby nations, such as Samoa, Fiji, Tonga, Canada etc were being significantly financially affected by the current tours and tournaments schedule. If that schedule was changed, the IRB or National Unions might somehow need to ensure that revenue flows towards those smaller nations."