https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/...
And here's the Federation response, which includes the rather bold claim that...
the premiership is not "semi-professional".
"It is an amateur league and players are not paid to play as references to being a 'semi-pro' may suggest."
I've never been a fan of federations running national league teams and was impressed when the waibop federation showed the foresight to hand their franchise to Hamilton Wanderers (although I think Melville would have done a better job)