Current season or competition: 2023 Heartland Championship | |
Sport | Rugby union |
---|---|
Inaugural season | 2006 |
Country | New Zealand (NZR) |
Holders | South Canterbury (Meads Cup) West Coast (Lochore Cup) |
Most titles | Whanganui (6 titles) |
Website | provincial.rugby |
Related competitions | Farah Palmer Cup National Provincial Championship |
The Heartland Championship competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship, is a domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was founded in 2006 as one of two successor competitions to the country's former domestic competition, the National Provincial Championship (NPC). The country's 27 provincial teams were split into two separate competitions. Thirteen of the original teams, plus one merged side created from two other teams, entered the new top-level professional competition, the Air New Zealand Cup (later known as the ITM Cup, Mitre 10 Cup and currently the NPC). The remaining 12 sides entered the new Heartland Championship, whose teams contest two distinct trophies, both named after famous New Zealand players:
The Heartland Championship is held annually, and starts in August. Rugby teams from 12 provincial unions compete.
Points are earned during the competition based on the following schedule:
Prior to the 2011 Competition, the tournament was conducted in three rounds. [1] This was similar to the structure of the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup, but that competition collapsed its first two phases into one effective in 2007. At the start of Round One, the 12 teams would split into seeded pools of six teams each, Pool A and Pool B. Seedings were also based on positions in the previous year's competition. During Round One, each team would play the other teams in its pool once. All teams would have either two or three home fixtures, with the three highest seeds in each pool at the start of the season receiving the extra home fixture.
All teams would advance to Round Two. The top three teams in each pool advance to the Meads Cup, while the bottom three teams enter the Lochore Cup.
Round two saw each team in both the Meads and Lochore Cups playing the three teams that it did not play during Round One. The three teams with the most competition points in Round One would play two home fixtures and one away, while the other three teams would play one home fixture and two away.
All competition points from Round One carried over to Round Two, and the competition points earned in both rounds determined the teams that advanced to the semifinals of each Cup in Round Three. The top four teams in the Meads and Lochore Cup competitions at the end of Round Two advanced to the semifinals.
This round sees the 12 teams playing 8 games each. 1st to 4th on the ladder at the end of the 8 weeks will play off for the Meads Cup, while 5th to 8th play off for the Lochore Cup.
The Meads and Lochore Cup winners are both determined in four-team single-elimination tournaments. The semifinal matchups are seeded 1-4 and 2-3, with the higher seed receiving home field advantage. The highest surviving seed hosts each Cup final.
The Heartland Championship is contested by the following teams: [1]
Team | Union | Established | Location | Venue | Colours |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Buller | Buller Rugby Union | 1894 | Westport | Victoria Square | |
East Coast | Ngāti Porou East Coast Rugby Union | 1922 | Ruatoria | Whakarua Park | |
Horowhenua Kapiti | Horowhenua Kapiti Rugby Football Union | 1893 | Levin | Levin Domain | |
King Country | King Country Rugby Union | 1922 | Te Kuiti | Owen Delany Park | |
Mid Canterbury | Mid Canterbury Rugby Union | 1904 | Ashburton | Ashburton Showgrounds | |
North Otago | North Otago Rugby Football Union | 1927 | Oamaru | Whitestone Contracting Stadium | |
Poverty Bay | Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union | 1890 | Gisborne | More FM Rugby Park | |
South Canterbury | South Canterbury Rugby Football Union | 1888 | Timaru | Fraser Park | |
Thames Valley | Thames Valley Rugby Union | 1922 | Paeroa | Boyd Park | |
Wairarapa Bush | Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union | 1971 | Masterton | Trust House Memorial Park | |
West Coast | West Coast Rugby Union | 1890 | Greymouth | John Sturgeon Park | |
Whanganui | Whanganui Rugby Football Union | 1888 | Whanganui | Cooks Gardens |
Prior to 2006, East Coast, North Otago, Poverty Bay and Wanganui competed in Division Two of the NPC, alongside Counties-Manukau, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Nelson Bays and Marlborough (all promoted to the Air New Zealand Cup, Nelson Bays and Marlborough merging to form Tasman). The remaining teams competed in Division Three of the NPC.
Year | Meads Cup Winner | Lochore Cup Winner |
2006 | Wairarapa Bush | Poverty Bay |
2007 | North Otago | Poverty Bay |
2008 | Wanganui | Poverty Bay |
2009 | Wanganui | North Otago |
2010 | North Otago | Wairarapa Bush |
2011 | Wanganui | Poverty Bay |
2012 | East Coast | Buller |
2013 | Mid Canterbury | South Canterbury |
2014 | Mid Canterbury | Wanganui |
2015 | Wanganui | King Country |
2016 | Wanganui | North Otago |
2017 | Wanganui | Mid Canterbury |
2018 | Thames Valley | Horowhenua-Kapiti |
2019 | North Otago | South Canterbury |
2020 | No competition held due to COVID-19 | |
2021 | South Canterbury | Wanganui |
2022 | South Canterbury | East Coast |
2023 | South Canterbury | West Coast |
Team | Winners | Runners-up | Titles |
---|---|---|---|
Wanganui | 6 | 5 | 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017 |
South Canterbury | 3 | 2 | 2021, 2022, 2023 |
North Otago | 3 | 1 | 2007, 2010, 2019 |
Mid Canterbury | 2 | 2 | 2013, 2014 |
East Coast | 1 | 1 | 2012 |
Thames Valley | 1 | 1 | 2018 |
Wairarapa Bush | 1 | 1 | 2006 |
Buller | — | 2 | — |
Horowhenua-Kapiti | — | 1 | — |
Team | Winners | Runners-up | Titles |
---|---|---|---|
Poverty Bay | 4 | — | 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011 |
North Otago | 2 | 3 | 2009, 2016 |
South Canterbury | 2 | 3 | 2013, 2019 |
Wanganui | 2 | 1 | 2014, 2021 |
Buller | 1 | 3 | 2012 |
West Coast | 1 | 2 | 2023 |
Mid Canterbury | 1 | 1 | 2017 |
Horowhenua-Kapiti | 1 | 1 | 2018 |
King Country | 1 | 1 | 2015 |
East Coast | 1 | — | 2022 |
Wairarapa Bush | 1 | — | 2010 |
In 2021 a new challenge trophy for the Heartland Championship teams, named after 16-test All Black Bill Osborne was announced. It would follow similar rules to the Ranfurly Shield.
The Osborne Taonga was designed and created by Otaki-based Kaiwhakaairo (carver) and artist Jason Hina (Ngā Rauru Kiitahi, Te Atihaunui ā Pāpārangi, Ngāti Apa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kauwhata and Ngāti Raukawa) and fellow carver Bill Doyle, who created the Tū Kotahi Aotearoa trophy. [2]
From 2022, the Heartland Championship Player of the Year award will be awarded a medal named after the former All Blacks captain, Ian Kirkpatrick. [3]
The 2022 winner was Sam Parkes (East Coast) and the other finalists were Siu Kakala (South Canterbury) and Semi Vodosese (Whanganui). [4]
Each year a New Zealand Heartland XV is selected to recognise the top performing players in the Championship. The team selected plays various fixtures and in some years goes on an overseas tour.
The National Provincial Championship, often simply called the NPC, is an annual round-robin rugby union competition in men's domestic New Zealand rugby. First played during the 2006 season, it is the second highest level of competition in New Zealand alongside the Ranfurly Shield. It is organised by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and since 2021, it has been known as the Bunnings NPC after its headline sponsor. A concurrent women's tournament is also held, the Farah Palmer Cup.
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challenge matches, which are usually played at the shield holders home venue, and if the challenger is successful in their challenge they will become the new holder of the Shield. There is a tradition for the first challenges of a new rugby season to be played against smaller associations from the Heartland Championship
The 2006 Heartland Championship was an amateur rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was the first season of the competition, a direct successor to the Second and Third Divisions of the country's former rugby competition, the National Provincial Championship. The competition featured 12 teams, divided into two pools of six teams.
The National Provincial Championship, often simply called the NPC, was an annual promotion and relegation rugby union competition in men's domestic New Zealand rugby. First played during the 1976 season, it was the highest level of competition in New Zealand until Super Rugby launched in 1996. It was organised by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and ceased following the 2005 season.
The Whanganui Rugby Football Union (WRFU) is the governing body for rugby union in the Whanganui region of New Zealand. The Whanganui Rugby Football Union was formed in 1888.
The Buller Rugby Union (BRU) is a rugby union province based in the town of Westport, New Zealand. The Buller provincial boundary also includes other notable towns such as Reefton, Karamea, Granity, Charleston, Punakaiki and Murchison.
The Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Football Union (NPEC) is a constituent union in the New Zealand Rugby Union. It is located on the East Coast of the North Island, based in Ruatoria. It is the smallest Union in New Zealand in the sense of player numbers and population base. Due to the high number of players from the Ngati Porou iwi, the team is often referred to as Ngati Porou East Coast.
The Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union within the Gisborne district, in the area surrounding Poverty Bay on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The men's representative team play from Rugby Park, Gisborne, and currently compete in the Heartland Championship.
The 2007 Heartland Championship was the primary provincial rugby union championship in New Zealand played between August 18 and October 18, 2007. As in the inaugural competition, the 2006 Heartland Championship, 12 teams were involved.
The Meads Cup is a rugby union trophy named after King Country and All Blacks player Colin Meads. It is contested during the Heartland Championship. It was first awarded in 2006, when the Heartland Championship format was introduced.
The 2008 Heartland Championship was a provincial rugby union competition involving 12 teams from New Zealand split into two pools. Matches started on Saturday 23 August 2008 and ended with the final on 25 October.
The 2009 Heartland Championship is the 4th provincial rugby union competition in New Zealand since the 2006 reconstruction, involving the 12 amateur rugby unions. The round-robin ran from 29 August to 17 October with 30 games in round one and 18 games in round two for a total of 48 games being played through the round-robin, after which the teams went into the playoffs. In the playoffs, the top four teams from each pool in round two went on to semifinals, and then a grand final for each pool was played on 31 October.
The 2010 Heartland Championship was the fifth edition of the New Zealand provincial rugby union competition, since the 2006 reconstruction. The teams represented the 12 amateur rugby unions.
The Lochore Cup is a New Zealand rugby union trophy named after famed Wairarapa Bush and All Blacks player and coach Brian Lochore. It is contested during the Heartland Championship. It was first awarded in 2006, when the Heartland Championship format was introduced.
The 2014 Heartland Championship was the ninth edition of the Heartland Championship, a rugby union competition involving the twelve amateur rugby unions in New Zealand. The tournament involved a round-robin stage in which the twelve teams played eight games each and then the top four advanced to the Meads Cup semifinals, while fifth to eighth advanced to the Lochore Cup semifinals. In both of these knockout stages the top seeds played at home against the lowest seeds, the second highest seeds played at home against the third highest seeds and the final had the higher seed play at home against the lower seed.
The 2015 Heartland Championship, the tenth edition of the Heartland Championship since the 2006 reconstruction of the National Provincial Championship, was a rugby union competition involving the twelve semi-professional rugby unions in New Zealand. The tournament involved a round-robin stage in which the twelve teams played eight games each and then the top four advanced to the Meads Cup semifinals, while fifth to eighth advanced to the Lochore Cup semifinals. In both of these knockout stages the top seeds played at home against the lowest seeds, the second highest seeds played at home against the third highest seeds and the final had the higher seed playing at home against the lower seed.
The 2016 Heartland Championship, known as the 2016 Mitre 10 Heartland Championship for sponsorship reasons, was the eleventh edition of the Heartland Championship, a rugby union competition involving the twelve amateur rugby unions in New Zealand. The tournament included a round-robin stage in which the twelve teams played eight games each and then the top four advanced to the Meads Cup semifinals, while fifth to eighth advanced to the Lochore Cup semifinals. In both of these knockout stages the top seeds played at home against the lowest seeds, the second highest seeds played at home against the third highest seeds and the final had the higher seed play at home against the lower seed.
The 2019 Heartland Championship, known as the 2019 Mitre 10 Heartland Championship for sponsorship reasons, was the 14th edition of the Heartland Championship, a rugby union competition involving the twelve amateur rugby unions in New Zealand. The tournament began with a round-robin stage in which the twelve teams played eight games each, from which the top four advanced to the Meads Cup semifinals, while fifth to eighth advanced to the Lochore Cup semifinals. In both of these knockout stages the top seeds played at home against the lowest seeds, the second highest seeds played at home against the third highest seeds and the final featured the higher seed playing at home against the lower seed.
The 2022 Bunnings NPC season was the seventeenth season of New Zealand's provincial rugby union competition, the National Provincial Championship, since it turned professional in 2006. It involved the top fourteen provincial rugby unions of New Zealand, which – under a new format introduced in 2022 – all played for the same title for the first time since the 2010 season. For sponsorship reasons, the competition was known as the Bunnings NPC. The regular season began on Friday 5 August 2022, when Manawatū hosts Canterbury. The final took place on Saturday 22 October 2022.
The 2023 Bunnings NPC season is the eighteenth season of New Zealand's provincial rugby union competition, the National Provincial Championship, since it turned professional in 2006. It involves the top fourteen provincial rugby unions of New Zealand, which – under a new format introduced in 2022 – will all be playing for the same title. For sponsorship reasons, the competition is known as the Bunnings NPC. The regular season begins on Friday 4 August 2023, when Tasman hosts Otago. The Final is scheduled for the weekend of 20 October 2023.