2015 ITM Cup

2015 ITM Cup season
Countries New Zealand
Tournament format(s) Round-robin and finals
Official website Official site
← 2014 (Previous) (Next) 2016 →

The 2015 ITM Cup season will be the tenth year running since the competition reconstruction in 2006 and the fifth under the new Premiership and Championship format. For the ITM Cup competition it will involve the top 14 provincial unions of New Zealand. For sponsorship reasons, the competition is known as the ITM Cup and it will be currently the sixth season under the sponsor. Including the defunct National Provincial Championship, this is the 39th season of New Zealand's premier domestic competition. The regular season matches are still to be confirmed along with the final fixtures.

Competition format

Covering 11 weeks, the schedule features a total of 76 matches. The 14 teams are grouped and divided into two divisions of seven teams, labeled the Premiership Division and the Championship Division. They are based on their on-field finishing positions following the previous year, teams finishing 1-7 will form the Premiership, teams finishing 8-14 will form the Championship. Including a promotion/relegation process between the winner of the Championship receiving automatic promotion to the Premiership replacing the seventh placed team in the Premiership which will be relegated to the Championship for the following year.[1] The regular season consists of two types of matches:

The top four teams of each division, will move on to the finals. The top two division winners, based on table points, received a home semi-final. In the first round of the finals, the semi-finals, the second division winner hosts the third division winner, and the first division winner hosts the fourth division winner. The final is hosted by the top remaining seed.[2]

There is also the Ranfurly Shield. It is automatically contested when the holder of the shield plays at home in any round (excluding semis and final).

Standings

Premiership Division
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1 Auckland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Canterbury 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Counties Manukau 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Manawatu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Taranaki 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Tasman 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Waikato 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Championship Division
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1 Bay of Plenty 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 Hawke's Bay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 North Harbour 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Northland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Otago 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Southland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Wellington 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Source: itmcup.co.nz

Legend:

     Qualified for Division Finals.
     Relegated to Championship for 2016 ITM Cup
Ranfurly Shield holders.
  • Pld = Games Played, W = Games Won, D = Games Drawn, L = Games Lost, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, PD = Points Difference, TF = Tries For, TA = Tries Against, TB = Try Bonus Points, LB = Losing Bonus Points, Pts = Log Points

Points breakdown:

  • 4 points for a win
  • 2 points for a draw
  • 1 bonus point for a loss by seven points or less
  • 1 bonus point for scoring four or more tries in a match

The Overall Standings classification system:[3]

  • Four Division Winners/Leaders in log points order
  • The remaining three teams in log points order
  • When teams are level on log points, they are sorted by:
    • the winner of the round robin match between the two provinces
    • highest overall points difference
    • highest number of tries scored
    • highest number of points scored
    • a coin toss

Round-by-round

Team Points by Round Total Average
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Auckland
Bay of Plenty
Canterbury
Counties Manukau
Hawke's Bay
Manawatu
North Harbour
Northland
Otago
Southland
Taranaki
Tasman
Waikato
Wellington
Offensive Defensive
Team Tries by Round Total Average
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Auckland
Bay of Plenty
Canterbury
Counties Manukau
Hawke's Bay
Manawatu
North Harbour
Northland
Otago
Southland
Taranaki
Tasman
Waikato
Wellington
Offensive Defensive
Team Progression – 2014 ITM Cup season
Premiership
Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9
Auckland
Canterbury
Counties Manukau
Manawatu
Taranaki
Tasman
Waikato
Championship
Team R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 R6 R7 R8 R9
Bay of Plenty
Hawke's Bay
North Harbour
Northland
Otago
Southland
Wellington

The table above shows a team's progression throughout the season.
For each round, their cumulative points total is shown with the overall division log position in brackets.
Key: win draw loss bye

Points Scorers

Updated: to 8 April 2015

Regular Season

Confirmed fixture matches for 2015 season as follows:

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Finals

Semi-finals Final
      
 
 
 
 
 
 

Semi-finals Final
      
 
 
 
 
 
 

Semi-finals

16 October 2015
19:35 NZST
Team 2 v Team 3
tbd
17 October 2015
14:35 NZST
Team 1 v Team 4
tbd
17 October 2015
17:05 NZST
Team 2 v Team 3
tbd
17 October 2015
19:35 NZST
Team 1 v Team 4
tbd

Finals

23 October 2015
19:35 NZST
Higher ranked semi-final winner v Lower ranked semi-final winner
tbd
24 October 2015
19:35 NZST
Higher ranked semi-final winner v Lower ranked semi-final winner
tbd

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2010 ITM Cup Competition Structures", Manawatu Rugby Union. Retrieved on 7 August 2010.
  2. ↑ "ITM Cup Finals schedule". allblacks.com. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "2013 Competition Regulations Handbook" (PDF). NZRPA. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
Preceded by
2014 ITM Cup		 ITM Cup
2015
TBD 		Succeeded by
2016 ITM Cup