The National Provincial Championship, often simply called the NPC, is an annual round-robin rugby union competition in men's domestic New Zealand rugby. First played in 1976, it is the second highest level of competition in New Zealand alongside the Ranfurly Shield. It is organised by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and since 2021, it has been known as the Bunnings NPC after its headline sponsor. A concurrent women's tournament is also held, the Farah Palmer Cup.
The New Zealand Barbarian Rugby Club Inc., nicknamed the Barbarians, or Baa-Baas, is a rugby union club headquartered in Kingsland, Auckland. The idea came from the concept of the Barbarian F.C. The Barbarians played their home matches at Eden Park.
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 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.
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.
The National Provincial Championship, often simply called the NPC, was an annual promotion and relegation rugby union competition in men's domestic New Zealand rugby. First played during the 1976 season, it was the highest level of competition in New Zealand until Super Rugby launched in 1996. It was organised by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and ceased following the 2005 season.
The Cavaliers was an unofficial New Zealand rugby union team which toured South Africa in 1986. Because of the Apartheid policies of the South African government, the official New Zealand Rugby Union tour scheduled for 1985 was cancelled, and the Cavaliers tour was very controversial in New Zealand.
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.
The 1980 New Zealand tour of Wales was a collection of friendly rugby union games undertaken by the New Zealand All Blacks against Wales that also took in two international games in North America en route to South Wales. This was a single test tour against each of the countries played, with four games against Welsh club opposition.
In 1928, the New Zealand national rugby union team undertook a three-month tour of South Africa. The series of four Test matches was drawn 2–2 and the overall tour record was sixteen wins, five losses and one draw.
Geoffrey Thomas Alley was a New Zealand rugby union player and librarian. He played three test matches for the All Blacks and was New Zealand's first national librarian.
The 1912 New Zealand rugby league season was the fifth season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.
The 1913 New Zealand rugby league season was the sixth season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.
Jarrad Hoeata is a professional rugby union player who plays for New Zealand side Taranaki. He made his debut for the All Blacks during the 2011 Tri Nations tournament.
The 1894 New South Wales tour of New Zealand was a rugby union tour of New Zealand undertaken by the New South Wales (NSW) representative side. During the tour NSW played matches against provincial New Zealand sides, and one against a representative New Zealand team.
Augustine Patrick Spillane was a New Zealand rugby union player. Gus Spillane came from a Temuka rugby family of Irish descent and one steeped in rugby. Three of his brothers also represented South Canterbury with one, Charles, later moving to Wanganui and Taranaki and becoming prominent in refereeing and administration. The Spillane Cup, the traditional trophy competed for at Easter by North Island Marist clubs, is named after Charles Spillane. Primarily a tidyfirst five-eighth, Spillane represented South Canterbury at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, in 1913. He appeared in two matches for the All Blacks, both of them internationals against the touring Australian team, in which he played at second-five eighth.
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.
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.
Reuben Graeme O'Neill is a New Zealand professional rugby union footballer who plays as a prop for New Zealand province Taranaki and the New Zealand national team. In his youth career, he was selected to play in the 2012 three-match international programme for the New Zealand Schoolboys and took part in New Plymouth Boys' High School first XV, the top representative team in secondary school.
Francis David Kilby was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. A halfback, Kilby represented Southland, Wellington, and briefly Wanganui and Taranaki at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1928 to 1934. He played 18 matches for the All Blacks, 13 of which were as captain, including four internationals. He later served on the executive of the New Zealand Rugby Union between 1955 and 1974, and managed the New Zealand Māori team on their tour of Australia in 1958, and the All Blacks on the 1963–64 tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America.
