National Provincial Championship

The National Provincial Championship is the national provincial championship in the New Zealand Rugby Union. It is currently divided into two leagues. There are professional ITM Cup (formerly the Air New Zealand Cup) in which the master is played, and the Amateur League Heartland Championship. Between the two divisions, there are no relegation. It attended by all 26 provincial associations of the New Zealand Rugby Union New Zealand Rugby Football Union ( NZRFU ).

Reigning champions New Zealand 's Canterbury, the ITM Cup 2010 won. Record champions Auckland is a total of 16 league titles.

History

The NPC was first held in 1976. Although the format of the Division One has hardly changed until the reorganization of 2006, there were in the lower divisions always changes.

The Division One was at the beginning of eleven teams, seven from the North Island and four of the South Island. The remaining provinces held a divided Division Two with two groups ( North / South ). The schlechttplatzierteste team of Division One of the South Island played against the winner of the Southern Division Two for promotion or against relegation. The worst team in the North Island automatically swapped the division with the winner of the Northern Division Two.

The format was maintained until 1985. This year, the two-pronged Division Two by a single-track Division Two and Division Three was replaced. The winners and laggards in each division automatically increased each year up or down. 1992 were relegated to Division Two, so in both divisions were nine teams now have three teams in the Division One. In addition, play-offs were introduced in 1992 with the semifinals and finals to determine the winner of each division - until then was a pure league system for the application.

After the purely amateur sport Rugby Union after 1995 was professionally, the Associations of New Zealand ( NZRFU ), Australia (Australian Rugby Union ) and South Africa joined (South African Rugby Football Union) together for SANZAR. It is a new international competition called Super 12 province and the annual Tri-Nations tournament for the three teams were introduced. Since a large part of the NPC season takes place during the Tri Nations, the New Zealand national team play there only limited. Since then, the Super Rugby has the NPC its meaning obsolete, as the top players in the Super Rugby play regularly throughout the season.

The only change the format from 1992, before 2006, was in 1998, when the number of teams was changed in each division. Ten were now in Division One, Division Two and nine in the eight in Division Three. The increased number of teams in Division One was the end of Round break, which had until then received each team once per season. This year, the automatic relegation was abolished. His place was a qualification game between the winners of the Division Two against the last of the Division One. As of 2002, enjoyed the last of the Division One home advantage, but this was changed again in 2003. The match took place from now on the winner of Division Two.

The reorganization in 2006 replaced the mode with three divisions by a mode with two divisions. The Air New Zealand Cup (now ITM Cup ) represents the top flight via the Heartland Championship. This mode differs from the two divisions split mode the years 1976-1984, when the Division Two was divided into North Island and South Island. In the new second division provinces are represented on both islands. The teams in the Heartland Championship play two different cups. There are the more prestigious Meads Cup, named after Colin Meads, Lochore Cup and named after Brian Lochore. Furthermore, we reduced the number of teams to 26, since the associations of provinces Marlborough and Nelson Bay joined forces for association Tasman. The NZRU has determined that there will be for the first years not promoted or relegated between the Air New Zealand Cup and the Heartland Championship.

Ranfurly Shield

In the NPC and cup matches to the Ranfurly Shield will be played. This is the oldest and most prestigious trophy in New Zealand rugby. The Shield - holder must defend in every home game of the regular ITM Cup season the Shield. If the away team wins the game, she gets the Ranfurly Shield. With a draw or victory of the home team this has successfully defended the trophy. In the play-offs is not being played around him.

In front of a season of Shield - holder must also take a number of challenges from the other league.

Men

The following provincial teams currently play in the ITM Cup:

The following provincial teams play in the Heartland Championship:

  • Buller Rugby Football Union
  • East Coast Rugby Football Union
  • Horowhenua - Kapiti Rugby Football Union
  • King Country Rugby Football Union
  • Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union
  • North Otago Rugby Football Union
  • Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union
  • South Canterbury Rugby Football Union
  • Thames Valley Rugby Football Union
  • Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union
  • West Coast Rugby Football Union
  • Wanganui Rugby Football Union

NPC winner

  • From 1976 to 1984 there was no Third Division. The Second Division was divided into North and South Island. From 1985 to 2005 there were three divisions, all of which were held across the country. Since 2006 there is again only two divisions called the ITM Cup (formerly the Air New Zealand Cup) and Heartland Championship. Both are held nationwide. The teams in the Heartland Championship play two different championships.
Northland Rugby Union Southland Rugby Football Union
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