NZ Provincial Rugby
There are 27 provincial unions in NZ which are divided into 3 divisions
comprising 9 teams. Div. 1 is highest and Div. 3 lowest division.
Division 1:
- Auckland:
- Founded - 1883
- Main ground - Eden Park, Auckland.
- Colours - Blue and white hooped jersey, white shorts, blue and white
hooped socks.
- Canterbury:
- 1879
- Lancaster Park, Christchurch
- Black jersey with bands of narrow scarlet stripes, black shorts,
black socks with scarlet tops.
- Counties:
- 1955
- Pukekohe Stadium
- Narrow red, black and white hoops, red shorts, black socks with red
and white top.
- King Country:
- 1922
- Taumarunui Domain (also play at Te Kuiti, Otorohonga and Taupo)
- Gold and maroon jersey with gold, white and maroon stripes around
arms and chest, maroon shorts, maroon socks with gold and white
tops.
- North Harbour:
- 1985
- Onewa Domain, Takapuna.
- White jersey, black band boarded by cardinal hoops around arms
and chest, black shorts, cardinal socks with black and white
top.
- Otago:
- 1881
- Carisbrook, Dunedin.
- Navy blue jersey with gold O, collar and cuffs, gold strips on sleeves,
blue shorts, navy socks with two gold bands at top.
- Southland:
- 1887
- Homestead Rugby Stadium , Invercargill.
- Gold and maroon jersey with 2 white hoops around arms and chest,
white shorts, maroon socks with white and gold bands at top.
- Waikato:
- 1921
- Rugby Park, Hamilton.
- Red, yellow and black hooped jersey, white shorts, red, yellow and
black hooped socks.
- Wellington:
- 1879
- Athletic Park, Wellington.
- Black jersey, gold collar and cuffs and 3 gold stripes down
sleeves, white shorts, black socks with 2 gold bands at top.
Division 2:
- Bay of Plenty:
- 1911
- Rotorua International Stadium (also Tauranga, Whakatane).
- Blue and gold hooped jersey and socks, blue shorts.
- Hawkes Bay:
- 1884
- McLean Park, Napier.
- Black and white hooped jersey and socks, black shorts.
- Manawatu:
- 1886
- Showgrounds Oval, Palmerston North.
- Green jersey with narrow white hoops, green shorts, green and white
hooped socks.
- Mid Canterbury:
- 1904
- Ashburton Showgrounds.
- Emerald green jersey with gold band bordered by narrow white
hoops, green shorts with gold stripes, green socks with 2 gold
bands at top.
- Nelson Bays:
- 1969
- Trafalgar Park, Nelson.
- Royal blue with white collar and cuffs, white shorts, blue socks
with two narrow white bands at top.
- Northland:
- 1920 (formally North Auckland)
- Okara Park, Whangarei.
- Cambridge blue jersey, white shorts, black socks with blue top.
- South Canterbury:
- 1888
- Fraser Park, Timaru.
- Green and black hooped jersey and socks, black shorts.
- Taranaki:
- 1889
- Rugby Park, New Plymouth.
- Amber and black hoops, black shorts, amber and black hooped socks.
- Wairarapa Bush:
- 1971 (merger of Wairarapa and Bush, formerly of Hawkes Bay)
- Memorial Park, Masterton.
- Turquoise green jersey with scarlet collar and cuffs, red
shorts, green socks with red bands.
Division 3:
- Buller:
- 1886
- Victoria Square, Westport.
- Blue jersey with cardinal hoop in centre, white shorts, blue and
cardinal hooped socks.
- East Coast:
- 1921
- Whakarua Park, Ruatoria. (also Te Araroa, Tokomaru Bay)
- Sky blue jersey, white shorts, sky blue and white hooped socks.
- Horowhenua:
- 1893
- Levin Park Domain.
- Red and white jersey with 5 narrow white hoops around arms and
chest, blue shorts, red, white and blue hooped socks.
- Marlborough:
- 1888
- Lansdowne Park, Blenhiem.
- Cardinal jersey, white shorts, cardinal socks with 3 white
stripes at top.
- North Otago:
- 1904
- Centennial Park, Oamaru.
- Gold jersey with maroon collar, maroon shorts, maroon socks with
gold tops.
- Poverty Bay:
- 1890
- Rugby Park, Gisborne.
- Scarlet jersey, white shorts, scarlet socks.
- Thames Valley:
- 1922
- Paeroa Domain (also Te Aroha, Thames)
- Gold jersey with 4 red hoops, red collar and cuffs, red shorts,
gold socks with 3 red bands at top.
- Wanganui:
- 1888
- Spriggens Park, Wanganui.
- Black and royal blue hoops with narrow white bands, white shorts,
blue and white hooped socks.
- West Coast:
- 1890
- Rugby Park, Greymouth.
- Red and white hoops, red shorts, red socks with white tops.
Competitions
The unions compete in the
NZ Provincial Championships (NZPC).
Provinces also play friendly (called non-championship) games throughout the
season against traditional rivals although most of these games occur at the
beginning of the season.
Based on information originally supplied by:
PEK1@waikato.ac.nz
Ranfurly Shield
The Provincial teams also compete for a challenge trophy called the
Ranfurly shield
(donated by New Zealand's Governor, Lord Ranfurly,
in 1901). Teams wishing to compete for the shield must normally make
a formal challenge to the title holder.
(See the rules.)
Prior to the inception of the Divisional competition
the Ranfurly shield holders were the closest thing there was to
National Champions. The trophy still holds an important place in NZ
rugby but the winners of the Division 1 Championship have fully
usurped the National championship title.