Kieran Read and Aaron Cruden are expected to forgo the chance to compete for a sevens gold medal in Rio to focus on the All Blacks next year.

Steve Hansen may have won a significant battle, but the war is set to rage on over the availability of key All Blacks for a 2016 programme that will take a back seat to the quest for sevens gold at the Rio Olympics

Hansen's influence was felt deeply when his post-World Cup captain Kieran Read declared recently he would not be making himself available for sevens selection for Rio, despite admitting to it being a tempting proposition.

That followed an identical decision by playmaker Aaron Cruden – a likely sevens natural – who confirmed he would not be going down the route of the abbreviated game next year.

It's understood New Zealand sevens supremo Gordon Tietjens had been intrigued by Read's athleticism and skills mixed with his physique, leadership and general smarts. He had wanted to include world rugby's 2013 player of the year among a group of prominent All Blacks to trial for the 2016 Games campaign.

Hansen is not commenting on the sevens selection process while it's still being ironed out by New Zealand Rugby chiefs, but it's understood the All Blacks coach was seething over the prospect of losing Read for a massive rebuilding project in 2016.

His stance is not just understandable, but important. For all the glamour and uniqueness of the Olympic experience, and the significance of a gold medal, the All Black programme must be protected as much as possible.

As much as the New Zealand public would love to see a rugby gold medal or two among the Rio haul, they would not want it to come at the expense of a significant dropoff in standard from the All Blacks. That's the delicate balancing act the game's decision-makers face.

And for each battle he wins, Hansen loses others, with Hurricanes pair Beauden Barrett and Julian Savea both confirming their interest in being part of the Rio sevens campaign in 2016, and Colin Slade taking up his big-money offer to head to Pau in France. The situation at No 10, in particular, is a concern.

Though Hansen doesn't want a war of words around the sevens tug-of-war, he is gravely aware of the potential impact it could have on a pivotal season ahead of the 2017 Lions tour.

The national coach is set to lose around a third of his World Cup squad to retirement or shifts offshore, including such influential performers as Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Conrad Smith, Ma'a Nonu and Tony Woodcock.

Notably, he is also seeing his potential succession planning being severely compromised by unprecedented raids from cashed up northern clubs. Among a phalanx of departures, Hansen will also lose the likes of Charles Piutau, Colin Slade, Frank Halai, Luke Braid, Tom Taylor, Bryce Heem, Brendon O'Connor and Bundee Aki, with Ryan Crotty also weighing his options.

It's a raft of defections with ominous overtones. The last time the All Blacks lost a strata of senior talent like they will post-RWC was at the end of 1997 – and we all know what happened in 1998 as the rebuilding New Zealanders staggered to five defeats on the trot.

Throw in the sevens conundrum and you can understand Hansen's frustration. He is effectively fighting a battle on two fronts, and that's one too many for his liking.

However, NZ Rugby boss Steve Tew – a staunch Hansen ally – has made it clear the sevens situation is something the All Blacks coach has to learn to live with. He makes no apologies for prioritising Olympic gold in 2016.

"The [sevens] process is under way, and we're being a bit coy around the detail because we're in a competition to qualify and ultimately try to win medals in Rio," Tew said. "There is a delicate balancing act involved here.

"We do not want to put the five Super Rugby sides in a position where they can't be competitive in 2016, and we certainly don't want to give Steve a major handicap going into a test series against Wales, and then the rest of the year which is always a demanding proposition.

"But we have openly established a couple of goals to go to Rio and do well. We've got to make sure Titch and [women's coach] Sean [Horan] have the players they require to do that."

Tew cautioned against a knee-jerk reaction to some high-profile players indicating their interest in an Olympic tilt.

"Not all of them will be selected. People look at worst-case scenarios, but the reality is it will be a team made up of players already playing sevens and some who come in and make the difference that we need if we're going to be the best side there."

Tew underlined the importance of New Zealand rugby remaining united around this process.

"There has to be discussion everyone ends up being part of, otherwise we're going to lose one of our great competitive advantages which is that we work very well together in this country," he said.

"We have provided some structure to the way those conversations will be guided, and will have quite formalised structures around numbers. There may be some caps in there, particularly around positions."

There is another upside to the Olympic opportunity too.

"In some discussions with players it's been part of the retention strategy we've had," Tew added. "We have one of those moments in time working in our favour with the possibility of an Olympic experience, and then having the British and Irish Lions touring in 2017. That's keeping some players in this part of the world."

Tew hopes a clearer picture of the sevens situation will be in place by mid-year. Meantime it's one more thing for Hansen to fret on.