National Provincial Championship
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The National Provincial Championship, or NPC, was the predecessor to the current Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship in New Zealand rugby.
The NPC was first contested in 1976, and although the basic format of Division One was much the same from then until the 2006 reorganisation, there were 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.
Auckland were the most successful team in the NPC championship, having won 15 of the 30 series.
The only change before 2006 was in 1998, when the number of teams in each division was changed to 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. Starting that year, automatic promotion/relegation between the top two divisions was ended. In its place, the winner of Division Two played a promotion-relegation match against the bottom club in Division One to determine whether the clubs would switch places. Through 2002, this match was hosted by the bottom team in Division One, but the site was changed in 2003 to the home field of the Division Two champion.
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[edit] NPC teams, 2005
The NPC divisions for the 2005 season consisted of:
[edit] Division one
- Auckland
- Bay of Plenty
- Canterbury
- North Harbour
- Northland
- Otago
- Southland
- Taranaki
- Waikato
- Wellington
The champion was Auckland, who defeated Otago in the final.
All 10 teams in Division One were elevated to the Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.
[edit] Division two
- Counties Manukau
- East Coast
- Hawke's Bay
- Manawatu
- Marlborough
- Nelson Bays
- North Otago
- Poverty Bay
- Wanganui
The champion was Hawke's Bay, who defeated Nelson Bays for the Division Two title.
Hawke's Bay, Counties Manukau and Manawatu were elevated to the Air New Zealand Cup as intact teams. Nelson Bays and Marlborough merged to form the new Tasman side in the Air New Zealand Cup. East Coast, North Otago, Poverty Bay and Wanganui entered the new Heartland Championship.
[edit] Division Three
- Buller
- Horowhenua-Kapiti
- King Country
- Mid Canterbury
- South Canterbury
- Thames Valley
- Wairarapa-Bush
- West Coast
The champion was Wairarapa-Bush, which defeated Horowhenua-Kapiti in the final.
All Division Three teams joined the Heartland Championship in 2006.
[edit] Past NPC winners
| Year | First Division Winner | Second 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 | |
| Year | First Division Winner | Second Division Winner | Third Division Winner | |
| 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 | |
| 2005 | Auckland | Hawke's Bay | Wairarapa-Bush | |
Note: From 1976 to 1984 there was no third division, and also the second division was divided into North and South Island competitions. From 1985 through 2005, there were three divisions, all organised on a nationwide basis.
[edit] See also
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