| Air New Zealand Cup | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Founded | 2006 |
| No. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short Athletics (track and field For an extensive coverage see 2006 in athletics (track and field Track of teams | 14 |
| Country(ies) |  New Zealand |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Auckland |
The Air New Zealand Cup (also referred to by its previous name of the National Provincial Championship, its abbreviation of NPC, or for sponsorship reasons as the Air New Zealand NPC) is New Zealand's professional domestic rugby union competition. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Auckland Rugby Football Union' (ARFU is the governing body of Rugby union in the Auckland Isthmus territorial authority in the The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, was the predecessor to the current Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship in New Zealand rugby Air New Zealand Limited (, Air New Zealand is a scheduled passenger Airline based in Auckland, New Zealand, and the national Flag carrier New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the NPC was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC now compete in the amateur Heartland Championship. The Heartland Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship, is an amateur domestic Rugby union competition in New Zealand also has five teams in Super 14, an elite competition which also involves sides from Australia and South Africa. The Super 14 is the largest Rugby union football club championship in the Southern hemisphere, consisting of four state teams from Australia (Queensland/Reds For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa
Contents |
Format
The Air New Zealand Cup is held annually. 14 provincial teams participate, and they each play ten round-robin games; this means that each side misses playing three others. Table points are earned for winning, drawing, losing by seven points or less, and by scoring four or more tries (see rugby union bonus points system). The Rugby union bonus points system is a method of deciding table points from a Rugby union match The top eight teams at the end of the round robin then play a quarter-finals round, followed by semi-finals, and then the final. [1]
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 through 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. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Tri Nations is an annual international Rugby union series held between the national teams of Australia (the Wallabies) New Zealand (the 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. The Super 14 is the largest Rugby union football club championship in the Southern hemisphere, consisting of four state teams from Australia (Queensland/Reds The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby union competition 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 All Blacks are New Zealand's national team in Rugby union, the country's National sport.
Air New Zealand Cup teams
The following teams contest the Air New Zealand Cup:
| Province | Super Rugby Partner | Stadium | Championships* | 2007 Placing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Auckland | Blues | Eden Park, Auckland | 16 | 1 |
 |
Bay of Plenty | Chiefs | Blue Chip Stadium, Tauranga Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua |
1 | 13 |
 |
Canterbury | Crusaders | AMI Stadium, Christchurch | 5 | 3 |
 |
Counties Manukau | Chiefs | Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland | 1 [2] | 14 |
 |
Hawke's Bay | Hurricanes | McLean Park, Napier | 0 | 4 |
 |
Manawatu | Hurricanes | FMG Stadium, Palmerston North | 1 | 12 |
 |
North Harbour | Blues | North Harbour Stadium, Albany | 0 | 9 |
 |
Northland | Blues | ITM Stadium, Whangarei | 0 | 10 |
|
Otago | Highlanders | Carisbrook, Dunedin | 2 | 7 |
 |
Southland | Highlanders | Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill | 0 | 6 |
 |
Taranaki | Hurricanes | Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth | 0 | 8 |
 |
Tasman | Crusaders | Trafalgar Park, Nelson Lansdowne Park, Blenheim |
0 | 11 |
 |
Waikato | Chiefs | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton | 2 | 5 |
 |
Wellington | Hurricanes | Westpac Stadium, Wellington | 4 | 2 |
- Includes NPC First Division championships
Air New Zealand Cup winners
| Year | Champion | Runner up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Waikato | Wellington | 37–31 |
| 2007 | Auckland | Wellington | 23–14 |
See also
- 2006 Air New Zealand Cup
- 2007 Air New Zealand Cup
- Heartland Championship
- List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues — the Air New Zealand Cup and NPC in a worldwide context
- National Provincial Championship
- Ranfurly Shield
References
- ^ Welcome to SuperBru Air NZ Cup!. The Auckland Rugby Football Union' (ARFU is the governing body of Rugby union in the Auckland Isthmus territorial authority in the The Blues, formerly the Auckland Blues, are a professional New Zealand Rugby union franchise based in Auckland New Zealand which represents Eden Park is the main sports ground in Auckland, New Zealand for both Rugby union during winter and Cricket in summer The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union' (BOPRU is the official governing body for Rugby union in the Bay of Plenty. The Chiefs (formerly known as the Waikato Chiefs) are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton New Zealand. Baypark Stadium formerly known as Bluechip Stadium is a multi-use Stadium in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. for the electorate see Tauranga (NZ electorate Tauranga (population 114500 2007 estimate after status was lost after 1989 Local Rotorua International Stadium is a multi-use Stadium located on Devon Street West in Westbrook suburb of Rotorua, New Zealand. Rotorua is a city on the southern shore of Lake Rotorua in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand, and Rotorua The Canterbury Rugby Football Union' (CRFU is the official governing body for Rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region of New For the speedway team see Canterbury Crusaders (speedway. The Crusaders (formerly the AMI Stadium, formerly Jade Stadium and Lancaster Park, is a sports stadium situated in Christchurch, New Zealand. Christchurch (Ōtautahi The largest City in the South Island, it is also the second largest city and third largest urban area of New Zealand The Counties Manukau Rugby Football Union' (CMRFU is the governing body of Rugby union in the Franklin district of New Zealand. The Chiefs (formerly known as the Waikato Chiefs) are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton New Zealand. Mt Smart Stadium, formerly Ericsson Stadium, is a Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand. The Auckland metropolitan area or Greater Auckland, in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country The Hawke's Bay Rugby Union' (HBRU is the governing body of Rugby union in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. The Hurricanes (formerly known as the Wellington Hurricanes) are a New Zealand Rugby Union team based in Wellington, New Zealand that McLean Park is a chiefly a Cricket ground in Napier, New Zealand, though rugby is also played here Napier ( Ahuriri in Māori) is a port city in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. For Current Season see Click Here Manawatu Rugby Union (MRU is the governing body of Rugby in the Manawatu rugby province The Hurricanes (formerly known as the Wellington Hurricanes) are a New Zealand Rugby Union team based in Wellington, New Zealand that Arena Manawatu is the current name of the 180000 square metre publicly owned recreational complex just west of the Palmerston North city centre in the Manawatu-Wanganui Palmerston North (Te Papa-i-oea is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. The North Harbour Rugby Union ( NHRU) commonly referred to colloquially as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is a provincial rugby team which competes The Blues, formerly the Auckland Blues, are a professional New Zealand Rugby union franchise based in Auckland New Zealand which represents North Harbour Stadium is a Stadium situated in Albany on Auckland 's North Shore in New Zealand. For the electorate see Albany (NZ electorate Albany is a northern suburb of North Shore City, one of several cities in the The Blues, formerly the Auckland Blues, are a professional New Zealand Rugby union franchise based in Auckland New Zealand which represents History Captain James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour were the first Europeans to contemplate the Whangarei The Otago Rugby Football Union' (ORFU is the governing body of Rugby union in the region of Otago in the South Island of New The Highlanders (formerly known as Otago Highlanders) are a New Zealand Rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in the Super 14. Carisbrook is a major sporting venue in Dunedin, New Zealand. Dunedin (dəˈneɪdɪn) Ōtepoti in Maori is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the region of The Southland Stags rugby team represents the Southland province in the Air New Zealand Cup also known as the Premier Division of the National Provincial Championship The Highlanders (formerly known as Otago Highlanders) are a New Zealand Rugby union team based in Dunedin that compete in the Super 14. Rugby Park Stadium is a Rugby union venue and home ground for Air New Zealand Cup team Southland. Invercargill ( Waihōpai in Māori) is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world Taranaki Rugby Football Union' (TRFU is the governing body of Rugby in the New Zealand province of Taranaki. The Hurricanes (formerly known as the Wellington Hurricanes) are a New Zealand Rugby Union team based in Wellington, New Zealand that Yarrow Stadium is situated in the central suburb of Westown in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand, with main vehicle access off Maratahu St for the place called New Plymouth in the United States see New Plymouth Idaho. The Tasman Rugby Union is New Zealand's newest provincial union For the speedway team see Canterbury Crusaders (speedway. The Crusaders (formerly the Trafalgar Park is a large sports ground within the heart of the city of Nelson, in New Zealand 's South Island. History Early settlement Settlement of Nelson began about 1100 years ago by Māori Lansdowne Park is one of the home grounds for Air New Zealand Cup team Tasman, the other being Trafalgar Park in Nelson. History The sheltered coastal bays of Marlborough supported a small Māori population possibly as early as the 12th century. The Waikato Rugby Union' (WRU is the official governing body of Rugby union in the region of Waikato in the North Island of The Chiefs (formerly known as the Waikato Chiefs) are a professional Rugby union team based in Hamilton New Zealand. Waikato Stadium is a major Rugby union and soccer venue in Hamilton, New Zealand, with a total capacity seated and standing of 25800 with Hamilton ( Kirikiriroa in Māori) is the centre of New Zealand 's fourth largest Urban area, and is the country's seventh largest City The Wellington Rugby Football Union' (WRFU is the official governing body of Rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand The Hurricanes (formerly known as the Wellington Hurricanes) are a New Zealand Rugby Union team based in Wellington, New Zealand that Westpac Stadium, previously known as WestpacTrust Stadium, is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Wellington (ˈwælɪŋtən is the Capital of New Zealand, the country's second largest urban area, the The 2006 Air New Zealand Cup is a provincial Rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. The Waikato Rugby Union' (WRU is the official governing body of Rugby union in the region of Waikato in the North Island of The Wellington Rugby Football Union' (WRFU is the official governing body of Rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial Rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. The Auckland Rugby Football Union' (ARFU is the governing body of Rugby union in the Auckland Isthmus territorial authority in the The Wellington Rugby Football Union' (WRFU is the official governing body of Rugby union in the city of Wellington, the capital of New Zealand The 2006 Air New Zealand Cup is a provincial Rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. The 2007 Air New Zealand Cup was a provincial Rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand. The Heartland Championship, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship, is an amateur domestic Rugby union competition in The table below lists domestic professional Sports leagues from around the world by total attendances for the last completed season for which data is available The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, was the predecessor to the current Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship in New Zealand rugby The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is perhaps the most prestigious trophy in New Zealand 's domestic Rugby union competition superbru. com. Retrieved on 2007-08-31. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne
- ^ As Counties, in 1979
External links
- Air New Zealand Cup official website
- Air New Zealand Cup News from Prime Rugby
- ANZ Rugby News
- NPC Rugby News
- Summary of the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup format at allblacks.com (PDF)
- Virtual Air NZ Cup Game
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic