Air New Zealand Cup
Encyclopedia
The ITM Cup is New Zealand
's annual professional domestic Rugby union
competition, taking place from late July through October (or the first week of November). It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship (NPC) was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC now compete in the amateur Heartland Championship
. From its inception through the 2009 season, it was sponsored by Air New Zealand
, the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand, and called the Air New Zealand Cup. New Zealand also has five teams in Super Rugby, an elite competition which also involves sides from Australia
and South Africa
.
In March 2010 it was announced that the Air New Zealand Cup would be renamed the ITM Cup with the addition of building supplies cooperative
ITM (Independent Timber Merchants) as the major sponsor. The change came because Air New Zealand chose to concentrate their rugby sponsorship on the country's national team, the All Blacks.
Also, the number of teams was reduced to 26, as the Marlborough and Nelson Bays unions merged to form the new Tasman union.
The 2006 expansion of the Super 12 and Tri Nations Series had a major effect on the Air New Zealand Cup. This expansion created the Super 14
, adding two extra fixtures to that competition, and also added two more Tri-Nations matches for the All Blacks, at least in non-World Cup
years. Because of these changes, it was intended for players in the All Blacks
selection pool to make only limited appearances in the Air New Zealand Cup.
The competition was taken out by Waikato
37–31, after they beat Wellington
in the Grand Final
in front of a capacity crowd of 25,000 fans at Waikato Stadium
. The leading try-scorer was emerging star Richard Kahui
from Waikato with eight tries, and the leading point-scorer was Jimmy Gopperth
from Wellington with 121 points.
and Canterbury
come out as champs in 2007 and 2008 respectively, both winning their finals against the Lions from Wellington
. It also saw some changes in the format which the teams played through.
come out over Wellington
. It was Wellington second successive Grand Final. Auckland finished the season at the top of the Points table with a record 48 competition points winning all ten matches. Jimmy Gopperth again finished as leading points scorer with 155, a new record and Brent Ward
from Auckland finished with the top try scorer title with 8 tries.
Auckland had an easy road into the final winning both of their matches, 30–10 against Taranaki
in the quarter-final and winning 38–3 against Hawke's Bay
in the semi. Wellington also had a convincing win in their quarter-final winning 45–3 against Southland but had a harder time in the semi beating Canterbury
by 5 points 26–21 at AMI Stadium.
The final was played on 20 October between Auckland and Wellington at Eden Park
. Two tries both converted by Isa Nacewa
gave Auckland a 14–3 lead midway through the first-half, but a try by Wellington meant that the halftime scoreline was narrowed to 14–8. Two penalties to each team made it 20–14 early in the second half, another penalty by Nacewa made the final score 23–14 with Auckland
winning their 16th championship.
set a record with an astounding 14 tries, it also saw his team reach the Grand Final once again, the third successive season, but like the previous two, coming up short once again losing to Canterbury
6 points to seven in a wet and low scoring final in the capital. The Wellington Rugby Football Union
had something to cheer them up by putting the Ranfurly Shield
away for the summer with their last challenge being Tasman
beating them 26–20. Blair Stewart from Southland was the leading points-scorer with a lower than previous 105 points. 2008 also saw on 11 August 2008 that the New Zealand Rugby Union initially announced that both Tasman
and Northland
would be relegated from the Air New Zealand Cup after the completion of the 2008 season. Both teams failed to meet criteria which included financial stability, population, player training and development, playing history, and administration. This decision was reversed towards the end of the 2008 season, with Tasman and Northland remaining in the competition for two more years
Both Canterbury
and Wellington
had easy quarter-finals winning their games 48–10 and 50–30 respectively. Their semi-finals were somewhat harder with Canterbury winning 31–21 against Hawke's Bay
and Wellington beating Southland 28–19.
The 2008 Air New Zealand Cup Grand Final was played on 25 October in the capital. A converted try to Hayden Hopgood and a Piri Weepu penalty was the only scoring in the first half leaving Canterbury having a 7–3 advantage at the break. It was no better in the second with the only score being a Wellington penalty, and that is how it ended, with a Canterbury win and yet another Wellington loss.
and Northland
possibly relegated due to financial and player retention issues. The 2009 Air NZ Cup Round-Robin
begun on 30 July and run to 25 October. The format has changed to a straight round-robin tournament
where every team faces the others once over 13 weeks.
The competition was intended to be the last of the Air New Zealand Cup, by name and by format, with the NZRU deciding to reduce the top division, named the Premier Division as of 2010, to ten teams and have two lesser divisions; the First Division with 6 teams, 4 teams from the Air New Zealand Cup and two teams from the Heartland Championship
; and a Heartland Championship competition with ten teams.
The key principles agreed at the time were that the competitions must:
saw a different structure than previous years, after a small pre-season the Round-Robin ran for 13 weeks with every team facing each other once. The top four teams advanced to the semi-finals and the winners from each semi competed for the title in the Grand Final.
To decide which four teams went through to the semi-finals the Rugby Union Bonus Points System
was used.
The Rugby Union Points System:
So the most points a winning team can receive is 5 and the most a losing team can receive is 2 points.
Semi-Finals are played between 4 teams, the teams are seeded 1 to 4 and the two highest seeded teams play at home against the two lowest seeded teams meaning 1 plays 4 and 2 plays 3. The highest seed still remaining in the grand final played at home.
, each team is under the governance of a union, e.g. Auckland is governed by the Auckland Rugby Football Union
; each team is the top male representative team that the union has to offer.
At least 10 days prior to the start of the upcoming season each union must contract at least 26 players to compete with.
The following teams contest for the ITM Cup, and have since 2006:
won the first competition
in 2006 while Auckland
and Canterbury
took out the 2007
and 2008 Cups
respectively, every year Wellington
were the runners up. Changes in 2011 see the 14 teams split into two divisions, with the top seven in the Premiership, with the rest in the Championship.
’ for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy
and the new Rebel Sport Super 14
trophy. Master silversmith Thorkild Hansen and his team spent 3 months crafting the trophy.
The trophy stands 45 centimetres tall and weighs 3.9 kilograms. It includes 2.7 kilograms of sterling silver and the inside of the trophy is gilded with gold.
The trophy sits on a base of black basalt that was hand-crafted by Waihi stone carver Jeff Beckworth.
in 1902, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies. The holding union must defend the Shield in challenge matches, and if a challenger defeats them, they become the new holder of the Shield.
is currently held by Taranaki who won it from Southland in the 12th round of the Round Robin in the 2011 ITM Cup
.
are automatic challenges. The remaining shield defences must be made up of challenges from unions in the other domestic competition. For example, since North Harbour
, an Air New Zealand Cup team, held the Shield at the end of the 2006 Cup season despite losing their home quarter-final to Otago
, they were forced to defend the Shield against Heartland Championship
teams during the 2007 pre-season. Having successfully done so, all their home fixtures in the round-robin phase were Shield defences until they lost the shield to Waikato
.
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...
's annual professional domestic 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, taking place from late July through October (or the first week of November). It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the National Provincial Championship (NPC) was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC now compete in the amateur Heartland Championship
Heartland Championship
The Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards 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,...
. From its inception through the 2009 season, it was sponsored by Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
, the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand, and called the Air New Zealand Cup. New Zealand also has five teams in Super Rugby, an elite competition which also involves sides from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
In March 2010 it was announced that the Air New Zealand Cup would be renamed the ITM Cup with the addition of building supplies cooperative
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
ITM (Independent Timber Merchants) as the major sponsor. The change came because Air New Zealand chose to concentrate their rugby sponsorship on the country's national team, the All Blacks.
History
The 2006 reorganisation of New Zealand provincial rugby replaced the NPC's former three-division setup with two distinct competitions. This differs from the original two-division setup used in the NPC from its creation in 1976 to 1984 in two key ways. First, the two current competitions are nationwide, while the original NPC Division Two was split on a North Island/South Island basis. Second, the NZRU ruled that there would initially be no promotion or relegation between the Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship—a feature that had always been present in the former NPC.Also, the number of teams was reduced to 26, as the Marlborough and Nelson Bays unions merged to form the new Tasman union.
The 2006 expansion of the Super 12 and Tri Nations Series had a major effect on the Air New Zealand Cup. This expansion created the Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
, adding two extra fixtures to that competition, and also added two more Tri-Nations matches for the All Blacks, at least in non-World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
years. Because of these changes, it was intended for players in the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
selection pool to make only limited appearances in the Air New Zealand Cup.
Inaugural Season
The first Air New Zealand Cup drew some good support from fans and was a successful first season. The new competition also saw the introduction of 4 teams up from the old Division Two of the NPC, they were:- Counties ManukauCounties Manukau Rugby UnionThe 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...
- Hawke's BayHawke's Bay Rugby UnionThe 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:...
- ManawatuManawatu Rugby UnionManawatu 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...
- TasmanTasman Rugby UnionThe 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...
(The amalgamation of the Nelson Bays and Marlborough unions)
The competition was taken out by 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...
37–31, after they beat 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...
in the Grand Final
2006 Air New Zealand Cup Final
The Final of the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup season, a provincial rugby union competition in New Zealand, took place on 21 October 2006 at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton...
in front of a capacity crowd of 25,000 fans at Waikato Stadium
Waikato Stadium
Waikato Stadium is a major sporting and cultural events venue in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a total capacity of 25,800. Four areas contribute to this capacity: The Brian Perry Stand holding 12,000, the WEL Networks Stand holding 8,000, the Goal Line Terrace holding 800 and the Greenzone can hold...
. The leading try-scorer was emerging star Richard Kahui
Richard Kahui
Richard Kahui is a New Zealand rugby union footballer.-Career:Kahui plays in the position of Centre. He plays for Waikato in the Air New Zealand Cup and made his Super 14 debut in 2006 with the Highlanders. Kahui was the top try scorer of the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup...
from Waikato with eight tries, and the leading point-scorer was Jimmy Gopperth
Jimmy Gopperth
James 'Jimmy' Gopperth is a rugby union player who plays for Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership. His position is first five-eighth and he played previously for the Hurricanes and Blues in the Super 14 and the Junior All Blacks...
from Wellington with 121 points.
2007 and 2008
The Air NZ Cup saw AucklandAuckland 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...
and 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...
come out as champs in 2007 and 2008 respectively, both winning their finals against the Lions from 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...
. It also saw some changes in the format which the teams played through.
Format Changes
The 2007 and 2008 season saw changes in the format for the competition with the NZRU opting to dump the previous pool system used the year before, instead going for a 10 week round-robin where each team will miss out on playing three of the other teams. The finals format was not changed however still staying with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and grand final.2007 Air NZ Cup
The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a relatively quiet compared to its predecessor, it saw AucklandAuckland representative rugby union team
The Auckland representative rugby union team is the top representative rugby union team under the Auckland Rugby Football Union in New Zealand. It competes in the ITM Cup, renamed from the Air New Zealand Cup in 2010....
come out over 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...
. It was Wellington second successive Grand Final. Auckland finished the season at the top of the Points table with a record 48 competition points winning all ten matches. Jimmy Gopperth again finished as leading points scorer with 155, a new record and 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...
from Auckland finished with the top try scorer title with 8 tries.
| Quarter Finalists | |
|---|---|
| 1 |  Auckland representative rugby union team The Auckland representative rugby union team is the top representative rugby union team under the Auckland Rugby Football Union in New Zealand. It competes in the ITM Cup, renamed from the Air New Zealand Cup in 2010.... |
| 2 |  Canterbury representative rugby union team The Canterbury representative rugby union team, generally referred to as Canterbury, are the top representative rugby union team under the Canterbury Rugby Football Union in New Zealand... |
| 3 |  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... |
| 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:... |
| 5 |  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... |
| 6 |  |
| 7 |  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... |
| 8 |  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... |
Auckland had an easy road into the final winning both of their matches, 30–10 against 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...
in the quarter-final and winning 38–3 against 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:...
in the semi. Wellington also had a convincing win in their quarter-final winning 45–3 against Southland but had a harder time in the semi beating Canterbury
Canterbury representative rugby union team
The Canterbury representative rugby union team, generally referred to as Canterbury, are the top representative rugby union team under the Canterbury Rugby Football Union in New Zealand...
by 5 points 26–21 at AMI Stadium.
The final was played on 20 October between Auckland and Wellington at 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...
. Two tries both converted by 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...
gave Auckland a 14–3 lead midway through the first-half, but a try by Wellington meant that the halftime scoreline was narrowed to 14–8. Two penalties to each team made it 20–14 early in the second half, another penalty by Nacewa made the final score 23–14 with Auckland
Auckland representative rugby union team
The Auckland representative rugby union team is the top representative rugby union team under the Auckland Rugby Football Union in New Zealand. It competes in the ITM Cup, renamed from the Air New Zealand Cup in 2010....
winning their 16th championship.
2008 Air NZ Cup
2008 saw Hosea GearHosea Gear
Hosea Gear is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays for the Highlanders in the Super 15 competition as a wing. He has played six international matches for New Zealand and scored five tries...
set a record with an astounding 14 tries, it also saw his team reach the Grand Final once again, the third successive season, but like the previous two, coming up short once again losing to 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...
6 points to seven in a wet and low scoring final in the capital. The Wellington Rugby Football Union
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...
had something to cheer them up by putting the Ranfurly Shield
Ranfurly Shield
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 Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
away for the summer with their last challenge being 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...
beating them 26–20. Blair Stewart from Southland was the leading points-scorer with a lower than previous 105 points. 2008 also saw on 11 August 2008 that the New Zealand Rugby Union initially announced that both 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...
and 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...
would be relegated from the Air New Zealand Cup after the completion of the 2008 season. Both teams failed to meet criteria which included financial stability, population, player training and development, playing history, and administration. This decision was reversed towards the end of the 2008 season, with Tasman and Northland remaining in the competition for two more years
| Quarter Finalists | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 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... |
| 2 | 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... |
| 3 | 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:... |
| 4 |  Bay of Plenty Steamers The Bay of Plenty Steamers are the top representative team under the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union in New Zealand. They compete in the ITM Cup. They have a total of 20 All Blacks, the latest being Tanerau Latimer in 2009... |
| 5 | |
| 6 | 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... |
| 7 |  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... |
| 8 | 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... |
Both 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...
and 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...
had easy quarter-finals winning their games 48–10 and 50–30 respectively. Their semi-finals were somewhat harder with Canterbury winning 31–21 against 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:...
and Wellington beating Southland 28–19.
The 2008 Air New Zealand Cup Grand Final was played on 25 October in the capital. A converted try to Hayden Hopgood and a Piri Weepu penalty was the only scoring in the first half leaving Canterbury having a 7–3 advantage at the break. It was no better in the second with the only score being a Wellington penalty, and that is how it ended, with a Canterbury win and yet another Wellington loss.
2009 Air New Zealand Cup
2009 almost saw a reduced 12 team competition with TasmanTasman 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...
and 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...
possibly relegated due to financial and player retention issues. The 2009 Air NZ Cup Round-Robin
2009 Air NZ Cup Round-Robin
The 2009 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition in New Zealand, which was run as a round-robin tournament from 30 July to 25 October. There were 13 rounds where every team played each other once...
begun on 30 July and run to 25 October. The format has changed to a straight round-robin tournament
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
where every team faces the others once over 13 weeks.
The competition was intended to be the last of the Air New Zealand Cup, by name and by format, with the NZRU deciding to reduce the top division, named the Premier Division as of 2010, to ten teams and have two lesser divisions; the First Division with 6 teams, 4 teams from the Air New Zealand Cup and two teams from the Heartland Championship
Heartland Championship
The Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards 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,...
; and a Heartland Championship competition with ten teams.
Future
The NZRU announced that the Air New Zealand Cup will be reduced to a 10 team competition either in 2010 or 2011. However, this did not happen, and the 14 teams remain, structured into 2 divisions. The new structure will see a Premier Division, First Division with the Heartland Championship running underneath.The key principles agreed at the time were that the competitions must:
- Include Super RugbySuper 14Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
players; - Have a stand-alone window;
- Feature a full round-robin and playoffs;
- Have promotion-relegationPromotion and relegationIn many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
; - Guarantee four and five home games per team;
- Be completed within a 10–12 week window; and
- Conclude by the end of October.
2009 Format
The 2009 Air New Zealand Cup2009 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2009 Air New Zealand Cup was the 33rd provincial rugby union competition, the fourth since the competition reconstruction in 2006, involving the top 14 provincial unions in New Zealand. It ran for 15 weeks from 30 July to 7 November...
saw a different structure than previous years, after a small pre-season the Round-Robin ran for 13 weeks with every team facing each other once. The top four teams advanced to the semi-finals and the winners from each semi competed for the title in the Grand Final.
To decide which four teams went through to the semi-finals the Rugby Union Bonus Points System
Rugby union bonus points system
The Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a rugby union match. It was implemented in order to encourage attacking play throughout a match, to discourage repetitive goal-kicking, and to reward teams for "coming close" in losing efforts...
was used.
The Rugby Union Points System:
- 4 points for a win
- 2 points for a draw
- 1 point for scoring 4 tries
- 1 point for losing by 7 points or less
So the most points a winning team can receive is 5 and the most a losing team can receive is 2 points.
Semi-Finals are played between 4 teams, the teams are seeded 1 to 4 and the two highest seeded teams play at home against the two lowest seeded teams meaning 1 plays 4 and 2 plays 3. The highest seed still remaining in the grand final played at home.
Current Teams
The ITM Cup consists of 14 teams covering a substantial part of New ZealandNew 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...
, each team is under the governance of a union, e.g. Auckland is governed by the Auckland Rugby Football Union
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...
; each team is the top male representative team that the union has to offer.
At least 10 days prior to the start of the upcoming season each union must contract at least 26 players to compete with.
The following teams contest for the ITM Cup, and have since 2006:
| Team | Head Coach | Captain | Stadia | Latest Placing (2010 2010 ITM Cup The 2010 ITM Cup was the 34th provincial rugby union competition, the fifth since the competition reconstruction in 2006 and the first under the new sponsor of ITM , involving the top 14 provincial unions of New Zealand... ) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round-Robin | Finals | ||||
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... |
Mark Anscombe | Daniel Braid Daniel Braid Daniel Joshua Braid is a rugby union footballer who currently plays for the Super Rugby team the Blues... |
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... |
2nd | Semi Finalists |
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... |
Sean Horan | Colin Bourke | Baypark Stadium and Rotorua Int'l Stadium Rotorua International Stadium Rotorua International Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located on Devon Street West in Westbrook suburb of Rotorua, New Zealand. It is currently used mostly for rugby union and rugby league matches, being one of two home stadiums for the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union... |
6th | DNQ |
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... |
Rob Penney | George Whitelock George Whitelock George Whitelock is a rugby union player for the Crusaders in the Super 14 competition and Canterbury in the Air New Zealand Cup. He plays as a flanker.-Biography:George is the son of a former Junior All Black, Braeden Whitelock... |
AMI Stadium | 1st | Champions |
 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... |
Milton Haig | Jamie Chipman | Bayer Growers Stadium Growers Stadium Growers Stadium is a stadium based in Pukekohe, New Zealand. Its usual tenants are the Counties Manukau Rugby Union team who play in the ITM Cup, the national rugby union competition in New Zealand. In July 2009, Counties Manukau announced that Bayer New Zealand Ltd would the main sponsor of their... |
9th | DNQ |
| 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:... |
Peter Russell | Mike Coman | McLean Park McLean Park McLean Park is a sports ground in Napier, New Zealand. The two main sports played at the ground are cricket and rugby. It is one of the 10 proper cricket grounds of New Zealand.... |
8th | DNQ |
 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... |
Dave Rennie | Nick Crosswell | 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... |
13th | DNQ |
 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... |
Craig Dowd | Michael Reid | North Harbour Stadium North Harbour Stadium North Harbour Stadium is a stadium, situated in Albany, in North Shore City, in New Zealand. It was opened in 1997, after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and construction. Rugby union, football and rugby League are the only sports played on the main ground, as it is rectangular in shape.... |
11th | DNQ |
 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... |
Bryce Woodward | Jared Payne | Toll Stadium Okara Park Okara Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Whangarei, New Zealand. It is currently used mostly for rugby union matches and is the home stadium of Northland Rugby Union. The stadium is able to hold 30,000 people and was built in 1965.... and Kerikeri Domain |
10th | DNQ |
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... |
Phil Mooney | Eben Joubert | Carisbrook Carisbrook Carisbrook was a major sporting venue in Dunedin, New Zealand. The city's main domestic and international rugby union venue, it has also been used for other sports such as cricket, football, rugby league and motocross. Carisbrook has also hosted a Joe Cocker concert and frequently hosted pre-game... and Forsyth Barr Stadium |
14th | DNQ |
|
Simon Culhane and David Henderson | Jamie Mackintosh Jamie Mackintosh Jamie Mackintosh is a professional rugby union player who plays provincially for Southland and for the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition, serving as team captain of both sides... |
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... |
7th | DNQ |
|
Colin Cooper | Craig Clarke | 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... |
5th | DNQ |
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... |
Kieran Keane | Chris Jack Chris Jack Christopher Raymond Jack is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays as a lock. He has played for Canterbury and the Tasman Makos in the National Provincial Championship and its successor, the Air New Zealand Cup; the Crusaders in Super Rugby; Saracens in the Guinness Premiership; and... |
Lansdowne Park Lansdowne Park, Blenheim Lansdowne Park is one of the home grounds for Air New Zealand Cup team Tasman, the other being Trafalgar Park in Nelson. It is also home to the Marlborough Red Devils and Blenheim Clubs Harlequins and Central.... and Trafalgar Park Trafalgar Park, Nelson Trafalgar Park is a large sports ground within the heart of the city of Nelson, in New Zealand's South Island. The stadium now has a capacity of 20,080, following upgrades completed for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. It takes its name from the Battle of Trafalgar.It is one of the home grounds for Air... |
12th | DNQ |
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... |
Chris Gibbes | Nathan White | Waikato Stadium Waikato Stadium Waikato Stadium is a major sporting and cultural events venue in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a total capacity of 25,800. Four areas contribute to this capacity: The Brian Perry Stand holding 12,000, the WEL Networks Stand holding 8,000, the Goal Line Terrace holding 800 and the Greenzone can hold... |
3rd | Runners Up |
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... |
Andre Bell | Rodney So'oialo Rodney So'oialo Rodney So'oialo is a New Zealand rugby union player currently playing in Japan for the Honda Heat. Previously, he had been a stalwart for the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby competition, making 101 appearances for the franchise. He also made 62 test appearances for the All Blacks between 2002 and 2009... |
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... |
4th | Semi Finalists |
| North Island | South Island |
Winners
The ITM Cup Champions for each season are awarded the ITM Cup Trophy, previously the Air New Zealand Cup Trophy whilst the competition was sponsored by the airline. WaikatoWaikato 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...
won the first competition
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....
in 2006 while Auckland
Auckland representative rugby union team
The Auckland representative rugby union team is the top representative rugby union team under the Auckland Rugby Football Union in New Zealand. It competes in the ITM Cup, renamed from the Air New Zealand Cup in 2010....
and 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...
took out the 2007
2007 Air New Zealand Cup
The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland defeated Wellington, was held on Saturday 20 October....
and 2008 Cups
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....
respectively, every year 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...
were the runners up. Changes in 2011 see the 14 teams split into two divisions, with the top seven in the Premiership, with the rest in the Championship.
| Year | Date | Champion | Score | Runner up | Referee | Stadium | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 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.... |
21 October | 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... |
37 – 31 | 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... |
Bryce Lawrence Bryce Lawrence Bryce Lawrence is a professional international rugby union referee from the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand.Originally a school headmaster, Lawrence took up refereeing in 1994, following in footsteps of his father, Keith Lawrence, who had been an international rugby union referee from 1985 to 1991... |
Waikato Stadium Waikato Stadium Waikato Stadium is a major sporting and cultural events venue in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a total capacity of 25,800. Four areas contribute to this capacity: The Brian Perry Stand holding 12,000, the WEL Networks Stand holding 8,000, the Goal Line Terrace holding 800 and the Greenzone can hold... |
25,000 |
| 17–13 | |||||||
| 2007 2007 Air New Zealand Cup The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland defeated Wellington, was held on Saturday 20 October.... |
20 October | 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... |
23 – 14 | 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... |
Chris Pollock | 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... |
16,000 |
| 14–8 | |||||||
| 2008 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.... |
25 October | 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... |
7 – 6 | 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... |
Bryce Lawrence | 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... |
21,237 |
| 7–3 | |||||||
| 2009 2009 Air New Zealand Cup The 2009 Air New Zealand Cup was the 33rd provincial rugby union competition, the fourth since the competition reconstruction in 2006, involving the top 14 provincial unions in New Zealand. It ran for 15 weeks from 30 July to 7 November... |
7 November | 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... |
28 – 20 | 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... |
Vinny Munro | AMI Stadium | 12,000 |
| 18–3 | |||||||
| 2010 2010 ITM Cup The 2010 ITM Cup was the 34th provincial rugby union competition, the fifth since the competition reconstruction in 2006 and the first under the new sponsor of ITM , involving the top 14 provincial unions of New Zealand... |
5 November | 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... |
33 – 13 | 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... |
Jonathon White | AMI Stadium | 10,500 |
| 13–8 | |||||||
| 2011 2011 ITM Cup The 2011 ITM Cup is the 35th provincial rugby union competition in New Zealand, the sixth since the competition reconstruction in 2006 and the second under the new sponsor of ITM .... |
3 September | 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... |
12 – 3 | 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... |
Garratt Williamson | Waikato Stadium Waikato Stadium Waikato Stadium is a major sporting and cultural events venue in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a total capacity of 25,800. Four areas contribute to this capacity: The Brian Perry Stand holding 12,000, the WEL Networks Stand holding 8,000, the Goal Line Terrace holding 800 and the Greenzone can hold... |
14,000 |
| 9-3 |
| Full-time Score | Half-time Score |
2006
The 2006 Air New Zealand Cup was played over 13 weeks from 28 July till the Grand Final on the 21st of October. The season was split into two rounds, Round One saw all teams split into two pools and played everybody in their pool as well as a bye week, Round Two saw the top three teams from each pool go on into the top six, the top six teams faced every team they didn't play in Round One, every other team were split into either Repechage A and Repechage B, the winners of each repechage went on to fill out the two remaining spots for the quarterfinals with the top six, the quarterfinals were followed by semifinals and a grand final.Round One
| Pool | Table Pos. | Team | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Results by Round | BP1 | BP2 | Comp. Points | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| A | 1st | Auckland representative rugby union team The Auckland representative rugby union team is the top representative rugby union team under the Auckland Rugby Football Union in New Zealand. It competes in the ITM Cup, renamed from the Air New Zealand Cup in 2010.... |
5 | 0 | 1 | 195 | 63 | 132 | W | W | W | W | L | W | bye | 4 | 1 | 25 |
| A | 4th | 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... |
3 | 0 | 3 | 116 | 129 | −13 | bye | L | L | L | W | W | W | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| B | 2nd | 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... |
5 | 0 | 1 | 170 | 87 | 93 | W | W | L | W | bye | W | W | 3 | 0 | 23 |
| B | 5th | 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... |
1 | 0 | 5 | 130 | 158 | −28 | L | bye | L | L | L | W | L | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| B | 6th | 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:... |
1 | 1 | 4 | 109 | 192 | −83 | L | L | W | bye | D | L | L | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| A | 7th | 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... |
0 | 0 | 6 | 46 | 174 | −128 | L | bye | L | L | L | L | L | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| A | 2nd | 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... |
5 | 0 | 1 | 142 | 92 | 50 | W | W | W | W | bye | L | W | 3 | 0 | 23 |
| B | 7th | 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... |
1 | 1 | 4 | 104 | 181 | −77 | L | L | L | W | D | bye | L | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| B | 3rd | 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... |
5 | 0 | 1 | 153 | 76 | 77 | W | W | W | W | W | L | bye | 2 | 1 | 23 |
| B | 4th | 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... |
2 | 0 | 4 | 88 | 123 | −35 | W | L | bye | L | L | L | W | 1 | 1 | 10 |
| A | 5th | 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... |
2 | 0 | 4 | 86 | 128 | −42 | L | L | L | W | W | bye | L | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| A | 6th | 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... |
1 | 0 | 5 | 133 | 163 | −30 | L | L | W | bye | L | L | L | 1 | 3 | 8 |
| B | 1st | 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... |
5 | 0 | 1 | 187 | 124 | 63 | bye | W | W | L | W | W | W | 3 | 1 | 24 |
| A | 3rd | 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... |
5 | 0 | 1 | 121 | 90 | 31 | W | W | bye | L | W | W | W | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| Home Game | Away Game |
Trophy
The Air New Zealand Cup is hand-forged and was created by Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith of Nelson, the same workshop that crafted the ‘One RingOne Ring
The One Ring is a fictional artifact that appears as the central plot element in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels. It is described in an earlier story, The Hobbit , as a magic ring of invisibility. The sequel The Lord of the Rings describes its powers as being more encompassing than...
’ for Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
and the new Rebel Sport Super 14
Super 14
Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
trophy. Master silversmith Thorkild Hansen and his team spent 3 months crafting the trophy.
The trophy stands 45 centimetres tall and weighs 3.9 kilograms. It includes 2.7 kilograms of sterling silver and the inside of the trophy is gilded with gold.
The trophy sits on a base of black basalt that was hand-crafted by Waihi stone carver Jeff Beckworth.
Ranfurly Shield
The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is perhaps the most prestigious trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First presented to AucklandAuckland representative rugby union team
The Auckland representative rugby union team is the top representative rugby union team under the Auckland Rugby Football Union in New Zealand. It competes in the ITM Cup, renamed from the Air New Zealand Cup in 2010....
in 1902, the Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies. The holding union must defend the Shield in challenge matches, and if a challenger defeats them, they become the new holder of the Shield.
Current Holders
The ShieldRanfurly Shield
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 Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...
is currently held by Taranaki who won it from Southland in the 12th round of the Round Robin in the 2011 ITM Cup
2011 ITM Cup
The 2011 ITM Cup is the 35th provincial rugby union competition in New Zealand, the sixth since the competition reconstruction in 2006 and the second under the new sponsor of ITM ....
.
Challenges
The Shield holder at the end of each season is required to accept at least seven challenges for the following year. All home games during league play, but not during knockout playoffs, in the ITM Cup or Heartland ChampionshipHeartland Championship
The Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards 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,...
are automatic challenges. The remaining shield defences must be made up of challenges from unions in the other domestic competition. For example, since 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...
, an Air New Zealand Cup team, held the Shield at the end of the 2006 Cup season despite losing their home quarter-final to 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...
, they were forced to defend the Shield against Heartland Championship
Heartland Championship
The Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards 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,...
teams during the 2007 pre-season. Having successfully done so, all their home fixtures in the round-robin phase were Shield defences until they lost the shield to 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...
.
See also
- 2006 Air New Zealand Cup2006 Air New Zealand CupThe 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....
- 2007 Air New Zealand Cup2007 Air New Zealand CupThe 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. Matches started on Thursday 26 July 2007, and the Final, in which Auckland defeated Wellington, was held on Saturday 20 October....
- 2008 Air New Zealand Cup2008 Air New Zealand CupThe 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....
- 2009 Air New Zealand Cup2009 Air New Zealand CupThe 2009 Air New Zealand Cup was the 33rd provincial rugby union competition, the fourth since the competition reconstruction in 2006, involving the top 14 provincial unions in New Zealand. It ran for 15 weeks from 30 July to 7 November...
- Heartland ChampionshipHeartland ChampionshipThe Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards 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,...
- List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues — the Air New Zealand Cup and NPC in a worldwide context
- National Provincial ChampionshipNational Provincial ChampionshipThe 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...
- Ranfurly ShieldRanfurly ShieldThe 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 Ranfurly Shield is based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies...