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Story: Rugby union

National Provincial Competition winners, 1976–2014

Year First Division Second Division
Winner North Island Winner South Island Winner
1976 Bay of Plenty Taranaki South Canterbury
1977 Canterbury North Auckland South Canterbury
1978 Wellington Bay of Plenty Marlborough
1979 Counties Manukau 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 Manukau 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
Year Air NZ Cup Heartland Championship
Winner Meads Cup Winner Lochore Cup Winner
2006 Waikato Wairarapa Bush Poverty Bay
2007 Auckland North Otago Poverty Bay
2008 Canterbury Wanganui Poverty Bay
2009 Canterbury Wanganui North Otago
Year ITM Cup Heartland Championship
Winner Meads Cup Winner Lochore Cup Winner
2010 Canterbury North Otago Wairarapa Bush
Year ITM Cup Heartland Championship
Premiership
Winner
Championship
Winner
Meads Cup
Winner
Lochore Cup
Winner
2011 Canterbury Hawke's Bay Wanganui Poverty Bay
2012 Canterbury Counties Manukau East Coast Buller
2013 Canterbury Tasman Mid Canterbury South Canterbury
2014 Taranaki Manawatu Mid Canterbury Wanganui

As this table shows, there have been a variety of formats for the NPC, but until 2011 it involved three competitions. At the top level – as in the Ranfurly Shield – Auckland and Canterbury have been the most successful teams. Since 2000 only Wellington, Waikato and Taranaki have challenged the two leading provinces.

Using this item

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Wikipedia - National Provincial Championship and ITM Cup

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How to cite this page

Ron Palenski, Rugby union – Provincial and regional rugby since 1976, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/40019/national-provincial-competition-winners-1976-2014 (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ron Palenski, published 30 November 2012, updated 1 September 2016.