2007 Air New Zealand Cup - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Final
Venue	Eden Park Eden Park Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
Champions	Auckland Auckland Rugby Football Union The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
Runner-up	Wellington Wellington Rugby Football Union The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...
Prev Season 2006 Air New Zealand Cup The 2006 Air New Zealand Cup is a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Friday 28 July 2006, and the Grand Final was won by Waikato on 21 October 2006....
Next Season 2008 Air New Zealand Cup The 2008 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 31 July 2008, and continued until the final on 25 October 2008....

The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup
Air New Zealand Cup
The ITM Cup is New Zealand's annual professional domestic Rugby union competition, taking place from late July through October . It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC...

was a provincial rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland

Auckland Rugby Football Union

The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...

defeated Wellington

Wellington Rugby Football Union

The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...

, was held on Saturday 20 October.

This season was the second of the expanded competition, which succeeded the First Division of the National Provincial Championship

National Provincial Championship

The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, is the major domestic rugby competition in New Zealand. The NPC has seen many alterations to its format and brand. Since 2006 the National Championship has been split into 2 competitions, the ITM Cup and the Heartland Championship...

. There were some major changes to the competition from that of the 2006 season

2006 Air New Zealand Cup

The 2006 Air New Zealand Cup is a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Friday 28 July 2006, and the Grand Final was won by Waikato on 21 October 2006....

. The original Rounds One (initial pool play) and Two (Top Six and Repechage phases) were scrapped. Instead, there was a 10-week round robin in which every team will miss out on playing 3 teams in the competition. This was followed by the quarterfinals, semifinal and the final as in 2006.

Standings

The top eight teams in pool play advanced to the Quarter Final.

	Clinched home quarterfinal berth
	Clinched quarterfinal berth

226
Pos	Name	Pld	W	D	L	F	A
1	Auckland Auckland Rugby Football Union The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...	10	10	0	0	371	145
8	0	48
2	Canterbury Canterbury Rugby Football Union The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...	10	9	0	1	351	135
6	0	42
3	Wellington Wellington Rugby Football Union The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...	10	8	0	2	354	172
6	1	39
4	Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay Rugby Union The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The union is based in Napier.-Representative rugby:...	10	7	0	3	254	221
5	1	34
5	Waikato Waikato Rugby Union The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921...	10	6	0	4	289	231
3	1	28
6	Southland Southland Rugby The Southland Rugby Football Union is a provincial rugby union who govern the Southland Region founded in 1886. The headquarters of Southland Rugby are in Invercargill, New Zealand however the Southland Union also covers country teams such as Midlands of Winton and Excelsior Rugby Club of Gore.The...	10	6	0	4	231	203
1	1	26
7	Otago Otago Rugby Football Union The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...	10	5	1	4	213	275
1	1	24
8	Taranaki Taranaki Rugby Union Taranaki Rugby Football Union is the governing body of Rugby in the New Zealand province of Taranaki. The main stadium is Yarrow Stadium which is in the main centre of New Plymouth. Taranaki plays in the annual ITM Cup in which it also competes for the Ranfurly shield...	10	4	0	6	218	234
3	4	23
9	North Harbour North Harbour Rugby Union The North Harbour Rugby Union , commonly referred to colloquially as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is a provincial rugby team which competes in the ITM Cup , the successor to the country's former domestic competition, the National Provincial Championship .-Area:Harbour Rugby encompasses a...	10	4	2	4	222	267
2	0	22
10	Northland Northland Rugby Union The Northland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Northland region of New Zealand.-History:Rugby was first played in Northland in the 1870s, and the first union was set up in the province in 1895, known as the Marsden Football Union. The Northland union was founded in...	10	3	1	6	206	214
1	4	19
11	Tasman Tasman Rugby Union The Tasman Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union at the top of the South Island in New Zealand. It is New Zealand's newest provincial union, founded in 2006 with the amalgamation of the existing Marlborough and Nelson Bays sub unions...	10	2	0	8	184	262
0	4	12
12	Manawatu Manawatu Rugby Union Manawatu Rugby Union is the governing body of the sport of Rugby union in the Manawatu rugby province. The Union is based in the city of Palmerston North but has a catchment area from nearby towns in the province, including Feilding, Rongotea, Linton, Bulls, Pahiatua, Dannevirke and...	10	2	1	7	158	331
1	0	11
13	Bay of Plenty Bay of Plenty Rugby Union The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union is the official governing body for rugby union in the Bay of Plenty, in the North-East of the North Island...	10	1	0	9	154	297
2	3	9
14	Counties Manukau Counties Manukau Rugby Union The Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Franklin district of New Zealand. The Steelers colours are red, white, and black horizontal bands. The 'Steelers' moniker is a reference to the nearby Glenbrook steel factory...	10	0	1	9	130	348
0	0	2

Table notes

Pos = Table Position
Pld = Played
W = Win (Worth 4 points)
D = Draw (Worth 2 points)
L = Loss (Worth 0 points)
F = For (Total points scored)
A = Against (Total points scored against)
+/- = Points difference
BP1 = Bonus Point (1 Bonus Point will be awarded to any team that scores 4 tries or more regardless of win/loss/draw.)
BP2 = Bonus Point (1 Bonus Point will be awarded to the losing side if the loss is by 7 points or less.)
Pts = Progressive points tally

NB:

It is possible to receive 2 bonus points in a loss.

NB In the event of a tie on points, the higher ranked team is decided on the basis of who won when they met in pool play. If they remain tied, then it is decided by points differential.

Point scorers

Points	Player	Province
155	James Gopperth	Wellington Wellington Rugby Football Union The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...
149	Stephen Brett Stephen Brett Stephen Brett is a rugby union player who plays for the Blues in the Super 14 and Canterbury in the Air New Zealand Cup.-Career:...	Canterbury Canterbury Rugby Football Union The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...
122	Matt Berquist Matt Berquist Matt Berquist is a rugby union player who plays at fly-half for Leinster Rugby in the Rabo Direct Pro12 and the Heineken Cup.-Provincial Rugby:...	Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay Rugby Union The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The union is based in Napier.-Representative rugby:...
120	Stephen Donald Stephen Donald Stephen Donald is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays at First five-eighth or Second five-eighth. Despite an international career that had not lived up to expectations, Donald, aka 'The Beaver', kicked the winning penalty in the IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 for New Zealand...	Waikato Waikato Rugby Union The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921...
115	Jack McPhee Jack McPhee Jack McPhee is a fictional character portrayed by Kerr Smith in the American television drama Dawson's Creek.-Fictional Biography:The son of Joseph McPhee, Jack is the shy new kid on the block when he and Andie begin their Sophomore year at Capeside High School. It is later revealed he and Andie...	North Harbour North Harbour Rugby Union The North Harbour Rugby Union , commonly referred to colloquially as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is a provincial rugby team which competes in the ITM Cup , the successor to the country's former domestic competition, the National Provincial Championship .-Area:Harbour Rugby encompasses a...
110	Isa Nacewa Isa Nacewa Isakeli Nacewa is a New Zealand-born rugby union footballer of Fijian descent. He is a utility back and represents Leinster Rugby in the RaboDirect Pro12 and Heineken Cup competitions. He previously represented the Blues in the Super Rugby competition and Auckland in the Air New Zealand Cup...	Auckland Auckland Rugby Football Union The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
101	Brent Ward Brent Ward Brent Ward is a New Zealand-born rugby union player. A product of Auckland Grammar School and the Auckland University club, he plays for Auckland in the ITM Cup, making his debut in 2002 against Southland...	Auckland Auckland Rugby Football Union The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...

Try scorers

Tries	Player	Province
8	Brent Ward Brent Ward Brent Ward is a New Zealand-born rugby union player. A product of Auckland Grammar School and the Auckland University club, he plays for Auckland in the ITM Cup, making his debut in 2002 against Southland...	Auckland Auckland Rugby Football Union The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
7	Shannon Paku Shannon Paku Shannon Paku is a New Zealand rugby union player, who has played for the Hurricanes in the Super 14 competition, and for the Vodafone Wellington Lions who play in the Air New Zealand Cup....	Wellington Wellington Rugby Football Union The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...
6	Jason Shoemark Jason Shoemark Jason Shoemark is a professional rugby union player who serves as a centre for the Exeter Chiefs in the Aviva Premiership.-New Zealand:...	Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay Rugby Union The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The union is based in Napier.-Representative rugby:...
6	Zac Guildford	Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay Rugby Union The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The union is based in Napier.-Representative rugby:...
6	Shayne Austin	Taranaki Taranaki Rugby Union Taranaki Rugby Football Union is the governing body of Rugby in the New Zealand province of Taranaki. The main stadium is Yarrow Stadium which is in the main centre of New Plymouth. Taranaki plays in the annual ITM Cup in which it also competes for the Ranfurly shield...
6	Lachie Munro Lachie Munro Lachlan Munro is a New Zealand professional rugby player who is a product of Auckland Grammar. In 2007 Munro played for the New Zealand 7s side and also the New Zealand under 21s side. He also played for Auckland in the Air New Zealand Cup, which is the New Zealand provincial championship. In...	Auckland Auckland Rugby Football Union The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
6	Scott Hamilton Scott Hamilton (rugby player) Scott Elliot Hamilton is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays for Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership. He previously played for the Crusaders in the Super 14, Canterbury in the New Zealand NPC competition and for his club in North Canterbury Glenmark...	Canterbury Canterbury Rugby Football Union The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...

Week 1

Home	Score	Away	Match Information
Home	Score	Away	Date	Time	Venue	Crowd
Manawatu Manawatu Rugby Union Manawatu Rugby Union is the governing body of the sport of Rugby union in the Manawatu rugby province. The Union is based in the city of Palmerston North but has a catchment area from nearby towns in the province, including Feilding, Rongotea, Linton, Bulls, Pahiatua, Dannevirke and...	15–41	Waikato Waikato Rugby Union The Waikato Rugby Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup , and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.Waikato Rugby Union was founded in 1921... (1BP)	26 July 2007	7.05	FMG Stadium Arena Manawatu Arena Manawatu is the current name of the 180,000 square metre publicly owned recreational complex just west of the Palmerston North city centre in the Manawatu-Wanganui region of New Zealand.It has three linked indoor stadiums, with movable tiered seating... , Palmerston North Palmerston North Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
Wellington Wellington Rugby Football Union The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand... (1BP)	68–7	Otago Otago Rugby Football Union The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago Region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial...	27 July 2007	7.35	Westpac Stadium Westpac Stadium Westpac Stadium, is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Due to its shape and silver coloured external walls, it is colloquially known as The Cake-Tin to the locals and other New Zealanders... , Wellington Wellington Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...	11,592
Taranaki	29–17	Tasman Tasman Rugby Union The Tasman Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union at the top of the South Island in New Zealand. It is New Zealand's newest provincial union, founded in 2006 with the amalgamation of the existing Marlborough and Nelson Bays sub unions...	27 July 2007	7.35	Yarrow Stadium Yarrow Stadium Yarrow Stadium is situated in the central suburb of Westown in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand, with main vehicle access off Maratahu St... , New Plymouth New Plymouth New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
Northland Northland Rugby Union The Northland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Northland region of New Zealand.-History:Rugby was first played in Northland in the 1870s, and the first union was set up in the province in 1895, known as the Marsden Football Union. The Northland union was founded in...	27–27	North Harbour North Harbour Rugby Union The North Harbour Rugby Union , commonly referred to colloquially as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is a provincial rugby team which competes in the ITM Cup , the successor to the country's former domestic competition, the National Provincial Championship .-Area:Harbour Rugby encompasses a...	28 July 2007	2.35	ITM Stadium, Whangarei Whangarei Whangarei, pronounced , is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the...
Auckland Auckland Rugby Football Union The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than... (1BP)	39–5	Counties Counties Manukau Rugby Union The Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Franklin district of New Zealand. The Steelers colours are red, white, and black horizontal bands. The 'Steelers' moniker is a reference to the nearby Glenbrook steel factory...	28 July 2007	5.30	Eden Park Eden Park Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
Canterbury Canterbury Rugby Football Union The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand... (1BP)	34–3	Bay of Plenty Bay of Plenty Rugby Union The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union is the official governing body for rugby union in the Bay of Plenty, in the North-East of the North Island...	28 July 2007	7.35	Jade Stadium, Christchurch Christchurch Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
Southland Southland Rugby The Southland Rugby Football Union is a provincial rugby union who govern the Southland Region founded in 1886. The headquarters of Southland Rugby are in Invercargill, New Zealand however the Southland Union also covers country teams such as Midlands of Winton and Excelsior Rugby Club of Gore.The...	13–41	Hawke's Bay Hawke's Bay Rugby Union The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The union is based in Napier.-Representative rugby:... (1BP)	29 July 2007	2.35	Rugby Park Stadium Rugby Park Stadium Rugby Park Stadium is a rugby union venue and home ground for ITM Cup team Southland. Rugby Park Stadium is located on the corner of Elles Road and Tweed Street in Invercargill. It has a capacity of 20,000, although in former incarnations has accommodated up to 30,000 in the 1960s before the... , Invercargill Invercargill Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...

Knockout stage

Quarter finals

Final
Venue	Eden Park Eden Park Eden Park is the biggest stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. It is used primarily for rugby union in winter and cricket in summer . The ground also occasionally hostts rugby league matches. To accommodate all three sports, the cricket pitch is removable... , Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
Champions	Auckland Auckland Rugby Football Union The Auckland Rugby Football Union is the governing body of rugby union in the Auckland Region, in the North Island of New Zealand. Its colours are navy blue and white in a hoop design. Auckland's top representative team have won New Zealand's top provincial rugby competition 16 times, more than...
Runner-up	Wellington Wellington Rugby Football Union The Wellington Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand...
Prev Season 2006 Air New Zealand Cup The 2006 Air New Zealand Cup is a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Friday 28 July 2006, and the Grand Final was won by Waikato on 21 October 2006....
Next Season 2008 Air New Zealand Cup The 2008 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 31 July 2008, and continued until the final on 25 October 2008....