Scott, I'd like to suggest a few tweaks to the finals format (I'm impressed with the overall proposal, though, and all the good work done).
The existing finals proposal has 8 teams from Division II (4 from each city) participating in the finals but only 4 teams from Division I (2 from each city). Unless there are further Division I final playoffs involving Canberra and Melbourne as well (2 teams from each city) to get a national champion, I think this balance is the wrong way around.
The weight of fans, viewers (hopefully), investors, and sponsors would want to see more of the Division I teams competing (with arguably more marquee and representative players on the books).
Also, there are Playoff Finals with not much riding on the outcome. Instead of having 3rd-4th matches that are, for the most part, dead rubbers, it would be better to have teams actually playing for the opportunity of securing Division I positions for the following year. There is more interest in matches when something tangible is on the line each time (including promotion or relegation for next year).
Here's an alternative format that maybe improves these aspects:
Finals Week 1
Match- Time. Venue - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- Teams
.. 1. . . 1:00 .. BNE .. Final: - - - - - #1 Div II BNE - vs - #2 Div II BNE
.. 2. . . 1:00 .. SYD .. Final: - - - - - #1 Div II SYD - vs - #2 Div II SYD
- - - - Regional Div II Champions play in Div I the next season.
.. 3. . . 2:45 .. BNE .. Playoff: . - . #3 Div I BNE - vs - #4 Div I BNE
.. 4. . . 2:45 .. SYD .. Playoff: . - . #3 Div I SYD - vs - #4 Div I SYD
- - - - The winners remain in Div I the next season.
.. 5. . . 4:30 .. BNE .. Semi: . . - . . . #1 Div I BNE - vs - #2 Div I SYD
.. 6. . . 4:30 .. SYD .. Semi: . . - . . . #1 Div I SYD - vs - #2 Div I BNE
- - - - The Winners advance to the Conference Div I Final.
Finals Week 2
Match- Time. Venue - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- Teams
.. 7. . . 1:00 .. BNE .. Playoff: . . Loser Match 3 - vs - Loser Match 1
.. 8. . . 1:00 .. SYD .. Playoff: . . Loser Match 4 - vs - Loser Match 2
- - - - The winners play in Div I the next season.
.. 9. . . 2:45 .. TBD* ..Playoff: .. Loser Match 5 - vs - Loser Match 6
- - - - Conference Div I third place prize
.. 10. . 2:45 .. TBD‡ ..Final: . .. Winner Match 3- vs - Winner Match 4
- - - - The winners are Conference Div II Champions.
.. 11. . 4:30 .. TBD† ..Final: . .. Winner Match 5- vs - Winner Match 6
- - - - The winners are Conference Div I Champions.
.. † Inaugural Div I final venue drawn randomly, then alternates yearly.
. ... Any year there would be no 'home' team, the venue shifts.
.. ‡ Div I third place match is the curtain raiser to the Div I final unless
. ... there would be no 'home' team, in which case the venue shifts.
.. * Div II final hosted in the city not hosting the Div I third place match.
This proposal provides an automatic promotion for the Division II champions in each region to play in Division I the following year at the expense of the Division I wooden spooners. But the Division II runners-up in each region have to play off against the losers of the 3rd-4th match from Division I in their region.
There are still two promotion/relegation slots but the second Division II team will have to earn their promotion by beating the incumbent. This provides a better level of fairness and certainty for Division I clubs and their sponsors and investors sinking money into developing their teams.
Instead of a dead rubber playoff between losing Division I semi finalists, perhaps use the flights for a Conference Division II Grand Final between the champion Division II teams in each region. Extra incentive and reward for the Division II clubs. (Then again, if the travel money can be found, perhaps do both and have the losing Div I semi finalists match up as a curtain raiser to the Div I Final - Get Wozza to allocate 10% of the mooted $1m as prizemoney for 3rd place - heheh).
The existing proposal has just 14 matches involving Division I teams (4 round robin matches per team, plus 4 finals) compared with 29 involving Division II teams (6 round robin matches per team, plus 8 finals).
This alternative format would have a total of 18 matches involving Division I teams (4 round robin matches per team, plus 8 finals) and 24 involving Division II teams (6 round robin matches per team, plus 5 finals), which provides a better balance.
It also leaves the Conference Division I Grand Final as the only match being played at 4:30 in the second week of the finals, so that all rugby viewers in both regions can focus on this game.