The National Provincial Championship (NPC) is New Zealand's principal domestic rugby union competition. It is held annually, with 27 provincial unions competing in three divisions.
The competition
The National Provincial Championship is held annually. Rugby teams from 27 provincial unions compete in three divisions, 10 in Division One, 9 in Division Two, and 8 in Division Three. There is a promotion/relegation system—the bottom placed Division One team plays the Division Two champion to determine if they swap places; whilst the bottom placed Division Two team is automatically relegated and the Division Three champion promoted.
The Division One/Division Two test match was held at the home ground of the bottom team in Division One through 2002. Starting with the 2003 season, the site of the test match was changed to the home ground of the Division Two champion.
The championship typically starts in August. Each team plays every other team in their division once in a round robin fashion. The top four ranking teams in each division then contest two semi-finals with the winners of those matches going on to contest a final. The winner of each final is then declared winner of the championship.
History
The NPC was first contested in 1976, and although the basic format of Division One has been much the same since then, there have been a number of changes to the lower divisions.
Initially, Division One was made up of 11 teams, 7 from the North Island and 4 from the South. The remaining unions contested a split Division Two, with teams from each island playing amongst themselves. The bottom placed Division One team from the South Island played the winner of the Southern Division Two to determine whether they switched divisions, whilst the bottom placed Division One team from the North Island was automatically relegated, switching places with the winner of the Northern Division Two.
The format continued until 1985, when the split Division Two was replaced by a united Division Two and a Division Three. The top and bottom placed teams in each division were automatically promoted and relegated each year.
In 1992, three teams from Division One were relegated so there were 9 teams in each division. Also, 1992 saw the introduction of semi-finals and a final to determine the champion in each division—previously, a league system had been used.
The only change since then was in 1998, when the number of teams in each division was changed to its present arrangement of 10 in Division One, 9 in Division Two, and 8 in Division Three. Having an even number of teams in Division One removed the necessity for byes.
The upcoming expansion of the Super 12 and Tri Nations Series, slated to take place in 2006, will have a major effect on the NPC, at least in Division One. This expansion will make the Super 12 into the Super 14, adding two extra fixtures to that competition, and will also add two more Tri Nations test matches for each national side. Because of these changes, it is intended that players in the All Blacks selection pool will no longer participate in the NPC from 2006 on. This may well make the competition in Division One more even.
NPC teams, 2005
The NPC divisions for the upcoming 2005 season consist of:
Division One
The current champion is Canterbury .
Bottom placed Northland defeated Division Two champions Nelson Bays and thus remain in Division One.
Division Two
The current champion is Nelson Bays, who were defeated in the Division One playoff against bottom placed Northland, and thus remain in Division Two for 2005.
Poverty Bay were the 2004 Division Three champions and were thus promoted to Division Two.
Division Three
- Buller
- Horowhenua-Kapiti
- King Country
- Mid Canterbury
- South Canterbury
- Thames Valley
- Wairarapa-Bush
- West Coast
The current champion is Poverty Bay.
Thames Valley were the bottom placed Division Two team in 2004, and thus were relegated to Division Three.
Past NPC winners
| Year
| First Division Winner
| Second Division Winner
| Third Division Winner
|
|
|
| North Island
| South Island
|
|
| 1976 | Bay of Plenty | Taranaki | South Canterbury |
|
| 1977 | Canterbury | North Auckland | South Canterbury |
|
| 1978 | Wellington | Bay of Plenty | Marlborough |
|
| 1979 | Counties | Hawke's Bay | Marlborough |
|
| 1980 | Manawatu | Waikato | Mid Canterbury |
|
| 1981 | Wellington | Wairarapa-Bush | South Canterbury |
|
| 1982 | Auckland | Taranaki | Southland |
|
| 1983 | Canterbury | Taranaki | Mid Canterbury |
|
| 1984 | Auckland | Taranaki | Southland |
|
| 1985 | Auckland | Taranaki | North Harbour
|
| 1986 | Wellington | Waikato | South Canterbury
|
| 1987 | Auckland | North Harbour | Poverty Bay
|
| 1988 | Auckland | Hawke's Bay | Thames Valley
|
| 1989 | Auckland | Southland | Wanganui
|
| 1990 | Auckland | Hawke's Bay | Thames Valley
|
| 1991 | Otago | King Country | South Canterbury
|
| 1992 | Waikato | Taranaki | Nelson Bays
|
| 1993 | Auckland | Counties | Horowhenua
|
| 1994 | Auckland | Southland | Mid Canterbury
|
| 1995 | Auckland | Taranaki | Thames Valley
|
| 1996 | Auckland | Southland | Wanganui
|
| 1997 | Canterbury | Northland | Marlborough
|
| 1998 | Otago | Central Vikings | Mid Canterbury
|
| 1999 | Auckland | Nelson Bays | East Coast
|
| 2000 | Wellington | Bay of Plenty | East Coast
|
| 2001 | Canterbury | Hawke's Bay | South Canterbury
|
| 2002 | Auckland | Hawke's Bay | North Otago
|
| 2003 | Auckland | Hawke's Bay | Wanganui
|
| 2004 | Canterbury | Nelson Bays | Poverty Bay
|
Note: From 1976 to 1984 there was no third division, and also the second division was divided into North and South Island competitions.
See also
External links