how about;

   rsync -a -e ssh --rsync-path=/usr/local/etc/rsync-sudo /localdir/ \
         user@remotehost:/remotedir/

where  /usr/local/etc/rsync-sudo is

        #!/bin/sh
        sudo /usr/pkg/bin/rsync $*


Todd Vierling writes:
 > On Tue, 21 Aug 2001, Curt Sampson wrote:
 > 
 > : > "login 'root' succeeded from server21.whatever.com" ...and that correlated
 > : > in time with a catastrophic failure of a system service?  Do you want to
 > : > go digging through log files because people are cascade sshing from
 > : > machine to machine on your network?
 > :
 > : The handy thing about permitting direct root logins is that you can
 > : sdist and rsync system files (e.g., /usr/local upgrade) to a whole bunch
 > : of other machines easily. Is there any way to do this without direct
 > : root logins?
 > 
 > I think you just won that $5 sudo challenge.  8-)
 > 
 > -- 
 > -- Todd Vierling <tv@wasabisystems.com>  *  Wasabi NetBSD:  Run with it.
 > -- NetBSD 1.5.2 available on CD-ROM soon!  --  http://www.wasabisystems.com/

-- 
Rex McMaster