Draft:National Provincial Championship
Teams
[edit]Team | Colours | Moniker | Location | Venue | Established | Joined | Coach |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Auckland | Gulls | Auckland | Eden Park | 1883 | 1976 | Craig McGrath | |
Bay of Plenty | Steamers | Tauranga | Tauranga Domain | 1911 | 1976 | Richard Watt | |
Canterbury | – | Christchurch | Rugby League Park | 1879 | 1976 | Marty Bourke | |
Counties Manukau | Steelers | Pukekohe | Navigation Homes Stadium | 1955 | 1976 | Reon Graham | |
Hawke's Bay | Magpies | Napier | McLean Park | 1884 | 1976 | Brock James | |
Manawatu | Turbos | Palmerston North | Arena Manawatu | 1886 | 1976 | Mike Rogers | |
North Harbour | Heat | Auckland | North Harbour Stadium | 1985 | 1985 | Ben Afeaki | |
Northland | Taniwha | Whangārei | Okara Park | 1920 | 1976 | Dale MacLeod | |
Otago | Razorbacks | Dunedin | Forsyth Barr Stadium | 1881 | 1976 | Tom Donnelly |
Results
[edit]1976–1991
[edit]On 18 September 1976, the first Radio New Zealand National Championship was decided when Bay of Plenty defeated Hawke's Bay and Manawatu lost to Marlborough. Both Bay of Plenty and Manawatu entered those matches tied at the top of the table with fifteen points. Despite some unions having additional matches left, Bay of Plenty's victory brought their total to seventeen points, securing their position as champions.[1]
The winners of Division One would receive a trophy called the Rugby Cup. Bay of Plenty captain Tuck Waaka was the first to hold this trophy until it was replaced during the 2006 season. In 2016, it was reinstated to celebrate the competition's fortieth anniversary and was once again awarded to the winners.[2]
The 1991 season was the final one to feature a straight round-robin format with no finals. During this time, Otago went on an impressive run and ultimately defeated North Harbour at Carisbrook to win the competition. This victory marked the end of Auckland's four-year winning streak before the introduction of finals in the following season.[3]
Edition | Season | Champions | Runners-up | Coach |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1976 | Bay of Plenty | Manawatu | Eric Anderson |
2 | 1977 | Canterbury | Counties | Tiny Hill |
3 | 1978 | Wellington | Counties | Ian Upston |
4 | 1979 | Counties | Auckland | Hiwi Tauroa |
5 | 1980 | Manawatu | Auckland | Graham Hamer |
6 | 1981 | Wellington | Manawatu | Ian Upston |
7 | 1982 | Auckland | Canterbury | John Hart |
8 | 1983 | Canterbury | Wellington | Alex Wyllie |
9 | 1984 | Auckland | Canterbury | John Hart |
10 | 1985 | Auckland | Canterbury | John Hart |
11 | 1986 | Wellington | Auckland | Earle Kirton |
12 | 1987 | Auckland | Wellington | Maurice Trapp |
13 | 1988 | Auckland | Wellington | Maurice Trapp |
14 | 1989 | Auckland | Canterbury | Maurice Trapp |
15 | 1990 | Auckland | Waikato | Maurice Trapp |
16 | 1991 | Otago | Auckland | Laurie Mains |
1992–2005
[edit]Finals were introduced for the first time during the 1992 season of the National Provincial Championship. Waikato emerged as the inaugural finals winners, marking their first victory in the competition since its inception in 1976. After finishing the qualifying round in fourth place, they decisively defeated top qualifier Auckland in the semifinal and then triumphed over defending champion Otago in front of 30,000 spectators at Rugby Park in Hamilton.[4]
The term golden era was referred to Auckland's remarkable success from 1982 to 1996, during which they won eleven out of fifteen National Provincial Championships. In addition to these titles, they enjoyed an impressive Ranfurly Shield reign that lasted nine years, with sixty-one successful defences, an achievement unmatched in the over 100-year history of the shield. This period of success set numerous Ranfurly Shield records that still stand today. Grant Fox holds the record for the most matches played (57) and the most points scored (932), while Terry Wright recorded the most tries (53). North Otago suffered the largest margin of defeat (139–5) in a game where John Kirwan scored a record eight tries.[5]
2006–present
[edit]After the 2003 Rugby World Cup, the New Zealand Rugby Union conducted a review of its competitions, leading to talks about a new format. It was ultimately decided that thirteen provincial unions, along with the newly established Tasman, would form part of the revamped premier division, which would be renamed the Air New Zealand Cup. The other unions would continue to operate within the Heartland Championship, eliminating the second and third divisions that had been introduced in 1985.[6]
Waikato secured its first title since 1992 by winning the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup. Under the guidance of coach Warren Gatland, they defeated Wellington in front of a capacity crowd of 25,000 at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.[7]
Since 2006, Canterbury has reached the finals of the National Provincial Championship twelve times, winning nine of those matches. This achievement cements their status as the most successful team in the competition during this era. From 2008 to 2013, they set a record by winning six consecutive titles, a feat that has not been matched since the introduction of finals in 1992.[8] During this period, only five other unions have found success, with Auckland, Taranaki, Tasman, and Waikato each winning twice, and Wellington securing the title once.[9]
Championships by club
[edit]Since the competition began in 1976, twenty-nine teams have participated. Auckland holds the record for the most successful union, with seventeen titles, while Canterbury has been the top team during the professional era, winning nine out of twelve finals. Eight other teams have claimed titles from both eras. Among the current competitors since the 2006 restructuring, only four sides, Hawke's Bay, North Harbour, Northland, and Southland have yet to win a championship.[9]
Team | Won | First | Latest | Lost | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Auckland | 17 | 1982 | 2018 | 7 | 70.83 |
Canterbury | 14 | 1977 | 2017 | 7 | 66.67 |
Wellington | 5 | 1978 | 2022 | 12 | 29.41 |
Waikato | 3 | 1992 | 2021 | 5 | 37.50 |
Otago | 2 | 1991 | 1998 | 5 | 28.57 |
Taranaki | 2 | 2014 | 2023 | 0 | 100.00 |
Tasman | 2 | 2019 | 2020 | 4 | 33.33 |
Bay of Plenty | 1 | 1976 | 1976 | 0 | 100.00 |
Counties Manukau | 1 | 1979 | 1979 | 4 | 20.00 |
Manawatu | 1 | 1980 | 1980 | 2 | 33.33 |
References
[edit]- ^ "September 18 - 1976 First National Championship decided". New Zealand Rugby Museum. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "New Zealand Rugby give nod to the past with restored trophy". New Zealand Herald. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ Steve Hepburn (31 August 2016). "Season to be marked". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ Jesse Wood (2 April 2024). "1992 rewind, Waikato Rugby's maiden NPC title". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Kris Shannon (25 January 2015). "Auckland's golden eras of sporting achievement". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ Chris Barclay (20 July 2006). "Will revamped NPC really fly with fans?". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Chris Barclay (21 October 2006). "Waikato wins Air New Zealand Cup". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "Six of the best for Canterbury". New Zealand Herald. 26 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ a b Ron Palenski (1 September 2016). "National Provincial Competition winners, 1976–2014". Te Ara. Retrieved 21 October 2024.