National Provincial Championship (1976–2005)
Sport | Rugby union |
---|---|
Inaugural season | 1976 |
Ceased | 2005 |
Country | New Zealand (NZR) |
Most titles | Auckland (15 titles) |
Website | provincial.rugby |
Related competitions |
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 league was restructured into two distinct competitions. The National Provincial Championship would include professional and semi-professional players, and consist of the top fourteen financial and best performing regional teams. For sponsorship reasons it was rebranded as the Air New Zealand Cup. The remaining teams would form a breakaway amateur competition known as the Heartland Championship.[1]
Twenty-eight teams had competed since the inception of the competition in 1976. Auckland were the most successful union with fifteen titles and Bay of Plenty were the inaugural champions. Six other teams had won the title: Canterbury (5), Wellington (4), Otago (2), Counties Manukau (1), Manawatu (1), and Waikato (1).
History
Origins and foundation
The first form of competition came in 1904 with the introduction of the Ranfurly Shield as a challenge trophy. The fixtures were planned each year in
In light of the fact that were so many competitions throughout New Zealand, a national tournament was needed and demanded. In 1972, Barry Smith proposed an inter-provincial competition to the
Teams
Team | Union | Established | Location | Joined | Departed | Seasons | Colours |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Auckland | Auckland Rugby Union | 1883 | Auckland
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Bay of Plenty | Bay of Plenty Rugby Union | 1911 | Tauranga
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Buller | Buller Rugby Union | 1894 | Westport | 1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Canterbury | Canterbury Rugby Football Union | 1879 | Christchurch
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Central Vikings | Central Vikings Rugby Union | 1996 | Napier | 1997 | 1998 | 2 | |
Counties Manukau | Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union | 1955 | Pukekohe
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
East Coast | Ngāti Porou East Coast Rugby Union | 1922 | Ruatoria | 1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Hawke's Bay | Hawke's Bay Rugby Union | 1884 | Napier | 1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Horowhenua Kapiti | Horowhenua Kapiti Rugby Football Union | 1893 | Levin | 1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
King Country | King Country Rugby Union | 1922 | Te Kuiti
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Manawatu | Manawatu Rugby Union | 1886 | Palmerston North
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Marlborough | Marlborough Rugby Union | 1888 | Blenheim | 1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Mid Canterbury | Mid Canterbury Rugby Union | 1904 | Ashburton | 1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Nelson Bays | Nelson Bays Rugby Union | 1968 | Nelson | 1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
North Harbour | North Harbour Rugby Union | 1985 | Auckland | 1985 | 2005 | 21 | |
Northland | Northland Rugby Union | 1920 | Whangārei
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
North Otago | North Otago Rugby Football Union | 1927 | Oamaru
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Otago | Otago Rugby Football Union | 1881 | Dunedin
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Poverty Bay | Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union | 1890 | Gisborne | 1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
South Canterbury | South Canterbury Rugby Football Union | 1888 | Timaru
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Southland | Rugby Southland | 1887 | Invercargill
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Taranaki | Taranaki Rugby Football Union | 1885 | New Plymouth
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Thames Valley | Thames Valley Rugby Union | 1922 | Paeroa
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Waikato | Waikato Rugby Union | 1921 | Hamilton | 1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Wairarapa Bush | Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union | 1971 | Masterton
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Wellington | Wellington Rugby Football Union | 1879 | Wellington
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
West Coast | West Coast Rugby Union | 1890 | Greymouth
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 | |
Whanganui | Whanganui Rugby Football Union | 1888 | Whanganui
|
1976 | 2005 | 29 |
Champions
Edition | Year | Champion | Result | Runner-up | Venue | Location | Coach |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1976 | Bay of Plenty | No result | Manawatu | No play-offs | Eric Anderson | |
2 | 1977 | Canterbury | No result | Counties | No play-offs | Tiny Hill | |
3 | 1978 | Wellington | No result | Counties | No play-offs | Ian Upston | |
4 | 1979 | Counties | No result | Auckland | No play-offs | Hiwi Tauroa | |
5 | 1980 | Manawatu | No result | Auckland | No play-offs | Graham Hamer | |
6 | 1981 | Wellington | No result | Manawatu | No play-offs | Ian Upston | |
7 | 1982 | Auckland | No result | Canterbury | No play-offs | John Hart | |
8 | 1983 | Canterbury | No result | Wellington | No play-offs | Alex Wyllie | |
9 | 1984 | Auckland | No result | Canterbury | No play-offs | John Hart | |
10 | 1985 | Auckland | No result | Canterbury | No play-offs | John Hart | |
11 | 1986 | Wellington | No result | Auckland | No play-offs | Earle Kirton | |
12 | 1987 | Auckland | No result | Wellington | No play-offs | Maurice Trapp | |
13 | 1988 | Auckland | No result | Wellington | No play-offs | Maurice Trapp | |
14 | 1989 | Auckland | No result | Canterbury | No play-offs | Maurice Trapp | |
15 | 1990 | Auckland | No result | Waikato | No play-offs | Maurice Trapp | |
16 | 1991 | Otago | No result | Auckland | No play-offs | Laurie Mains | |
17 | 1992 | Waikato | 40–5 | Otago | Rugby Park | Hamilton | Kevin Greene |
18 | 1993 | Auckland | 27–18 | Otago | Eden Park | Auckland
|
Graham Henry |
19 | 1994 | Auckland | 22–16 | North Harbour | Onewa Domain | Auckland
|
Graham Henry |
20 | 1995 | Auckland | 23–19 | Otago | Eden Park | Auckland
|
Graham Henry |
21 | 1996 | Auckland | 46–15 | Counties Manukau | Eden Park | Auckland
|
Graham Henry |
22 | 1997 | Canterbury | 44–13 | Counties Manukau | Lancaster Park | Christchurch
|
Robbie Deans |
23 | 1998 | Otago | 49–20 | Waikato | Carisbrook | Dunedin
|
Tony Gilbert |
24 | 1999 | Auckland | 24–18 | Wellington | Eden Park | Auckland
|
Wayne Pivac |
25 | 2000 | Wellington | 34–29 | Canterbury | Jade Stadium | Christchurch
|
Dave Rennie |
26 | 2001 | Canterbury | 30–19 | Otago | Jade Stadium | Christchurch
|
Steve Hansen |
27 | 2002 | Auckland | 40–28 | Waikato | Waikato Stadium | Hamilton | Wayne Pivac |
28 | 2003 | Auckland | 41–29 | Wellington | Westpac Stadium
|
Wellington
|
Wayne Pivac |
29 | 2004 | Canterbury | 40–27 | Wellington | Westpac Stadium
|
Wellington
|
Brian McLean |
30 | 2005 | Auckland | 39–11 | Otago | Eden Park | Auckland
|
Pat Lam |
Finals appearances by union
In the sortable table below, teams are ordered first by number of appearances, then by number of wins, and finally by season of first appearance.
Team | Total | First | Latest | Won | Lost | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Auckland | 15 | 1982 | 2005 | 15 | 0 | 100.00 |
Wellington | 7 | 1978 | 2003 | 4 | 3 | 57.14 |
Otago | 7 | 1991 | 2005 | 2 | 5 | 28.57 |
Canterbury | 6 | 1977 | 2004 | 5 | 1 | 83.33 |
Counties Manukau | 3 | 1979 | 1997 | 1 | 2 | 33.33 |
Waikato | 3 | 1992 | 2002 | 1 | 2 | 33.33 |
Bay of Plenty | 1 | 1976 | 1976 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
Manawatu | 1 | 1980 | 1980 | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
North Harbour | 1 | 1994 | 1994 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Second-tier champions
The 2002 season saw the introduction of the
Awards
Player awards
Season | Division 1 | Division 2 | Division 3 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | Player | Position | Team | |
1994 | Waisake Sotutu | Wing
|
Auckland | Simon Culhane | First five-eighth
|
Southland | John Smitheram | Number 8
|
Mid Canterbury |
1995 | Olo Brown | Prop
|
Auckland | Bull Allen | Prop
|
Taranaki | Gavin McLiver | Number 8
|
Thames Valley |
1996 | Justin Marshall | Half-back
|
Canterbury | Norm Hewitt | Hooker
|
Southland | Rob Penney | Number 8
|
Marlborough |
1997 | Todd Blackadder | Flanker | Canterbury | Justin Collins | Flanker | Northland | Chris Finch | First five-eighth
|
North Otago |
1998 | Tony Brown | First five-eighth
|
Otago | Jarrod Cunningham | Fullback
|
Central Vikings | Greg Moriarty | Hooker
|
Mid Canterbury |
1999 | Filo Tiatia | Number 8
|
Wellington | Warren Johnston | First five-eighth
|
Nelson Bays | Victor Taingahue | Half-back
|
East Coast |
2000 | Andrew Slater | Lock
|
Taranaki | Cory Holdaway | Flanker | Nelson Bays | Mano Flutey | First five-eighth
|
East Coast |
2001 | Richie McCaw | Flanker | Canterbury | Reece Robinson | Lock
|
Hawke's Bay | Hotili 'Asi | Prop
|
North Otago |
2002 | Keith Lowen | Centre
|
Waikato | Sitiveni Sivivatu | Wing
|
Counties Manukau | Simon Porter | First five-eighth
|
North Otago |
2003 | Iliesa Tanivula | Wing
|
Auckland | Davis Norman | Centre
|
Hawke's Bay | Jonathan Walker | Number 8
|
Whanganui |
2004 | Richie McCaw | Flanker | Canterbury | Mark Bright | Flanker | Nelson Bays | Craig Tansley | Flanker | Horowhenua Kapiti |
2005 | Chris Smylie | Half-back
|
Otago | Clint Newland | Prop
|
Hawke's Bay | Simanu Simanu | Centre
|
Wairarapa Bush |
See also
- National Provincial Championship (2006–present)
- Heartland Championship
- Ranfurly Shield
- Farah Palmer Cup
- Rugby union in New Zealand
- History of rugby union in New Zealand
- List of New Zealand rugby union teams
References
- ^ "NZRU releases eligibility criteria for new competitions". All Blacks. 4 November 2004. Archived from the original on 13 February 2005. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ISBN 9781869502331.
- ^ "Regional rugby". NZ History. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- ^ "Club and provincial rugby". Te Ara. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "Provincial and regional rugby since 1976". Te Ara. 5 September 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
- ^ "Division One pools and draw released for 2006". Air New Zealand Cup. 4 November 2005. Archived from the original on 16 October 2008. Retrieved 2 December 2022.
- ^ "Heartland Championship competition announced". Air New Zealand Cup. 29 June 2006. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008. Retrieved 2 December 2022.