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.
Rugby Southland is the provincial rugby union who govern the Southland region of New Zealand. Their headquarters are at Rugby Park Stadium in Invercargill, which is also the home ground of the union's professional team, the Southland Stags who compete in the Mitre 10 Cup Championship Division and challenge for the Ranfurly Shield.
The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a portion of the Canterbury region of New Zealand. Its colours are red and black in a hooped design. The CRFU govern the running of the Canterbury representative team which have won New Zealand's first-tier domestic competition National Provincial Championship 14 times including a "six-peat" from 2008 to 2013 – with five in the National Provincial Championship, two in the Air New Zealand Cup, five in the ITM Cup and one in the Mitre 10 Cup. Their most recent victory was the 2017 Mitre 10 Cup. Canterbury also acts as a primary feeder to the Crusaders, who play in the Super Rugby competition.
The Otago Rugby Football Union is the official governing body of rugby union for the Otago region of New Zealand. The union is based in the city of Dunedin, and its home ground is Forsyth Barr Stadium. The top representative team competes in the ITM Cup, New Zealand's top provincial competition. The union was to have been liquidated in March 2012. However a deal involving the Dunedin City Council allowed it to keep operating. Otago have won the Ranfurly Shield on seven occasions. They were the National provincial championship winners in 1991 and 1998. They have a proud record playing international teams, having defeated South Africa and the British and Irish Lions.
David Steven Loveridge is an All Black of the late 1970s and early 1980s, known in his time as the greatest halfback in the world.
The Waikato Rugby Union (WRU) is the official governing body of rugby union in the Waikato area in the North Island of New Zealand. Headquartered in Hamilton, WRU was founded in 1921.
Taranaki Rugby, previously the Taranaki Rugby Football Union, is the governing body for rugby union in Taranaki, New Zealand; Taranaki is a region of New Zealand that covers areas in the districts of New Plymouth and South Taranaki. Established in 1889, they represent the Mitre 10 Cup side, Taranaki Bulls, and Farah Palmer Cup side, Taranaki Whio. It is also affiliated with the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are amber and black and they play their home games at TET Stadium & Events Centre in Inglewood.
Mark Richard Allen, commonly known as Bull Allen, is a New Zealand former rugby union footballer and TV celebrity, reaching iconic status on the New Zealand sports scene in the 1990s. As well as 19 games and 8 test match appearances for New Zealand, Allen played 110 games for Taranaki and was captain of the inaugural Wellington Hurricanes Super 12 team. He was also captain of the first and short-lived Central Vikings team.
Colin Gary Cooper is a New Zealand professional rugby union coach and former player. He is the former head coach of the Chiefs. Cooper is a NPC champion and two-time Ranfurly Shield holder, winning with the Taranaki union as a head coach. Cooper has coached the Māori All Blacks to three undefeated tours and won the IRB U21 World Cup with the New Zealand under-21 side. He also accomplished 101 games played for Taranaki.
Mark Powell Robinson is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played nine Test matches for the All Blacks between 2000 and 2002. Playing mainly at centre, Robinson played provincial rugby for Taranaki, Wellington and later Canterbury. In Super 12 rugby he played for the Crusaders, with whom he won two titles: in 2000 and 2002. It was while playing with the Crusaders that he played his only international rugby, two Tests in 2000 and seven in 2002.
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).
Ross Handley Brown was a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played 16 test matches, most frequently in the first-five back position, for New Zealand's national rugby team, the All Blacks, from 1955 until 1962.
George Gothard Aitken was a rugby union footballer who represented New Zealand – known as the All Blacks – and then Scotland. He was born in Westport, New Zealand, and was selected to play provincially for Buller at the age of 16. After moving to Wellington, Aitken played for the province from 1917, and from there was selected for the All Blacks side that faced South Africa when they toured New Zealand in 1921. After only two Test matches for the All Blacks, both as captain, he was dropped from the team. In 1922 Aitken was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship and travelled to England to study at the University of Oxford. He played for the university's rugby club, and from there he was selected for Scotland. He first represented the country in 1924, and in 1925 appeared in all of their Five Nations matches; Scotland won all four of those games, and in doing so achieved their first ever Grand Slam.
Beethoven Algar, commonly known as Beet, was a New Zealand rugby union player. A back who played in any position from first five-eighth to wing, Algar represented Wellington at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1920 and 1921. He played six matches for the All Blacks, including one as captain, but did not appear in any internationals.
Henry "Norkey" Dewar was a New Zealand rugby union forward, who played for the All Blacks, and represented Taranaki and Wellington provinces.
William Robert "Robin" Archer was a New Zealand rugby union player and coach. A first five-eighth, Archer represented Otago and Southland at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks.
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.
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.
Jayson Potroz is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays at fullback in the Mitre 10 Cup for Taranaki. He also plays for the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby (MLR).
