The Ranfurly Shield, colloquially known as the Log o' Wood, is a trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1904, the Shield is based on a challenge system. The holding union must defend the shield in challenge matches, which are usually played at the shield holder's home venue, and if the challenger is successful in their challenge they will become the new holder of the Shield. There is a tradition for the first challenges of a new rugby season to be played against smaller associations from the Heartland Championship.
The North Harbour Rugby Union (NHRU), commonly known as North Harbour or simply Harbour, is the governing body of rugby union that encompasses a wide geographical area north of Auckland that includes North Shore City, Rodney District, the Hibiscus Coast and part of Waitakere City. There are 12 rugby clubs from Mahurangi RFC, based in Warkworth, Rodney District, in the north through to Massey the southernmost area of the union.
Lome Fa'atau is a rugby union player. The speedy winger is recognisable by his traditional Samoan tattoo (pe'a). Before his rugby career took off, he attended St. Patrick's College in Wellington, where he was a star basketball player for his college team. It was not until he left college did he begin playing rugby union for the local club Marist St. Pat's, where he made his debut in the third grade division at fullback.
The Tasman Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in Tasman Bay / Te Tai-o-Aorere, a bay at the north end of the South Island in New Zealand. Headquartered in Nelson, TRU is New Zealand's newest provincial union, founded in 2006 with the amalgamation of the existing Marlborough and Nelson Bays sub unions.
The Taranaki Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Taranaki, New Zealand and was established in 1889. Taranaki is a region of New Zealand that covers areas in the districts of New Plymouth, Stratford and South Taranaki. Taranaki Rugby's two most senior representative teams are the men's NPC side, Taranaki Bulls, and the women's Farah Palmer Cup side, Taranaki Whio. The union is affiliated with the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise. Their playing colours are amber and black and they play their home games at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth.
Kurt Baker is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a fullback or wing for Old Glory DC in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Mathew Drew Turner is a South African born rugby union player who currently plays for the Seattle Seawolves in Major League Rugby (MLR).
The 2009 Air New Zealand Cup was the 33rd provincial rugby union competition, the fourth since the competition's reconstruction in 2006, involving the top 14 provincial unions in New Zealand. It ran for 15 weeks from 30 July to 7 November. It was also the last edition of the provincial competition to use the Air New Zealand Cup name, as the competition's sponsorship contract with Air New Zealand ended after that season. The 2010 competition will be held under a new name, the ITM Cup.
Jayden Hayward is a New Zealand-born rugby union player who played for the Italy national rugby union team and for Benetton Rugby. He can play as a fly-half, centre or fullback.
Ryan Tongia is a professional rugby league and rugby union footballer. He is currently based out of Hawke's Bay in New Zealand. Tongia is of Papua New Guinean, Chinese and German descent, but was born and raised in Australia. His position is right or left wing, or fullback. He is a Papua New Guinea rugby league international.
James Ryan Marshall is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played in the First five-eighth, Fullback and occasionally Second five-eighth positions for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and Tasman in the Bunnings NPC. He also captained the Taranaki Bulls in the ITM Cup. He is the older brother of Crusader Tom Marshall. He announced his retirement on his What a Lad Podcast in January 2021 due to an ongoing injury to his hip. He is currently the assistant coach for the Crusaders.
Beauden John Barrett is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a fly half for Japan Rugby League One club Toyota Verblitz and for the New Zealand national team.
Andre Taylor is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays in the fullback position and most recently played for Kintetsu Liners of Japan, and previously played for the Wellington-based Super Rugby franchise, the Hurricanes. He has played for New Zealand's Māori international side, the Māori All Blacks. Also a former New Zealand under-20 rep, Taylor endeared himself to Hurricanes' fans with a superb Super Rugby season in 2012. Starting at fullback, he became a regular try-scoring threat, drawing comparisons with the great Christian Cullen. At provincial level he began his career with Manawatu, his home province before making the switch to Taranaki in early 2010.
John Ricky Riccitelli is a New Zealand professional rugby union footballer who plays as a hooker for New Zealand franchise Blues. In his youth career, he was selected to play in the 2015 World Rugby Under 20 Championships for New Zealand and took part in Francis Douglas Memorial College first XV.
Jordan Matthew Barrett is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a utility back internationally for New Zealand's All Blacks, and for the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby competition. Having previously been an apprentice for the All Black squad in 2016, Barrett was first selected for New Zealand in 2017, making his debut against Samoa in a warm-up test prior to the British & Irish Lions series. He is widely regarded as one of the best centres in world rugby.
The 2017 Mitre 10 Cup season was the twelfth season of New Zealand's provincial rugby union competition since it turned professional in 2006. The regular season began on August 17, when North Harbour hosted Otago. It involved the top fourteen rugby unions of New Zealand. For sponsorship reasons, the competition was known as the Mitre 10 Cup and it was the second season under the lead sponsor. The winner of the Championship, Wellington was promoted to the Premiership, while the seventh-placed Premiership team, Waikato was relegated to the Championship.
Pita Gus Nacagilevu Sowakula is a Fijian professional rugby union footballer who plays as a flanker for New Zealand franchise Chiefs. In his youth career, he played basketball and was selected in the 2012 FIBA Oceania Under 19 Championships for Fiji.
The 2018 Mitre 10 Cup season was the thirteenth season of New Zealand's provincial rugby union competition since it turned professional in 2006. The regular season began on August 16, when North Harbour hosted Northland. It involved the top fourteen rugby unions of New Zealand. For sponsorship reasons, the competition was known as the Mitre 10 Cup and it was the third season under the lead sponsor. The winner of the Championship, Waikato was promoted to the Premiership, the seventh placed Premiership team, Taranaki was relegated to the Championship.
Quinn Puketahinga Claude Tupaea is a New Zealand professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for New Zealand province Waikato. In his youth career, he was selected to play in the 2019 World Rugby Under 20 Championships for New Zealand and took part in Hamilton Boys' High School first XV, the top representative team in secondary school.
Liam Blyde is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a Halfback for Taranaki in New Zealand's domestic Mitre 10 Cup.
