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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 during the 2006 season, 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 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.
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.
Rugby union is the unofficial national sport of New Zealand. The men's national team, the All Blacks, is currently ranked the third best national rugby team in the world. The sport has been known in New Zealand since 1870. The top domestic competitions are the professional National Provincial Championship and amateur Heartland Championship, and above them Super Rugby, in which New Zealand has five franchises. The country co-hosted and won the first ever Rugby World Cup in 1987, and hosted and won the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The men have won three World Cups, tied with South Africa, the most of any other country. They are the current World Champions for Women's rugby union and in rugby sevens for men and women.
The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union in a portion of the Bay of Plenty Region of New Zealand. Its colours are dark blue and yellow in a hooped design. The BOPRU govern the running of the Bay of Plenty representative team which have won New Zealand's first-tier domestic competition National Provincial Championship once. Their most recent victory was the 1976 competition, they were the first side to win the competition. Bay of Plenty also acts as a primary feeder to the Chiefs, 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 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.
Adrian Richard Cashmore, is a rugby player who played for Auckland and Bay of Plenty provincially, and the Auckland Blues and Chiefs in Super Rugby. He also played professionally in Japan and for Welsh region the Ospreys in the Celtic League. He also made two appearances for New Zealand.
Johnny Leo'o is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. His usual position is at Flanker. He is 1.85m tall and weighs 100 kg. He played for Canterbury in the NPC and he also represented Crusaders in the Super 14 rugby competition. He played 60 games for Canterbury and 6 games for Bay of Plenty. He made his debut in 1999 for Bay of Plenty against Auckland. He made his Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders against the Stormers in the 2002 Super 12 season. He is part Samoan and for that reason the Samoa Rugby Football Union wanted him to play for Samoa but he declined and he went on to play for the New Zealand sevens team in 2000 and 2001 before being capped again at national level in 2006 when he made the Junior All Blacks. He played in over 40 matches for the Crusaders scoring 5 tries. He now plays his rugby for Racing Métro 92 in the Top 14 competition.
Nigel Hunt is a New Zealand rugby union player who most famously played for the New Zealand Sevens team. He achieved a Gold Medal along with his NZ Sevens teammates at the 2006 Commonwealth games in Melbourne. Hunt was a member of both NZ Sevens squads that won the Sevens World Circuits in 2006 and 2007.
Bay of Plenty are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand. The union was originally established in 1911, with the National Provincial Championship established in 1976. They now play in the reformed National Provincial Championship competition. They play their home games at Rotorua International Stadium in Rotorua or Tauranga Domain, Tauranga, both in the Bay of Plenty Region. The team is affiliated with the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are blue and yellow.
The Bay of Plenty is a large bight along the northern coast of New Zealand's North Island. It stretches 260 kilometres (160 mi) from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaway in the east. Called Te Moana-a-Toi in the Māori language after Toi, an early ancestor, the name 'Bay of Plenty' was bestowed by James Cook in 1769 when he noticed the abundant food supplies at several Māori villages there, in stark contrast to observations he had made earlier in Poverty Bay.
Rugby union in New Zealand is structured into four tiers. The top tier is composed of the national representative teams, with the men's team – known as the All Blacks – and the women's team - known as the Black Ferns, at the top, followed by other representative sides such as the Junior All Blacks and Māori All Blacks. These national sides are administered by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU). Below this level is Super Rugby, where there are five New Zealand sides, each representing a different region of the country. Below this level is provincial rugby, the third tier – each province has a representative side that plays in either the semi-professional Bunnings Warehouse NPC, or amateur Heartland Championship. These provincial sides are selected of Super Rugby players, and club players from within the province. Club rugby is the fourth and lowest tier, and consists of clubs competing in local leagues organised by a provincial union.
Chase Tiatia is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a utility back for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He has signed with the Western Force for the 2023 and 2024 Super Rugby season. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but is eligible to represent Manu Samoa internationally due to his Samoan heritage.
Andrew S. Knewstubb is a New Zealand rugby sevens and rugby union player. His position is fullback. He represented New Zealand at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Onisi Ratave is a Fijian rugby union player who plays for Benetton Rugby in United Rugby Championship. His playing position is centre or wing.He is a fireman by profession.Having to play for Rewa and Namosi in the skipper cup competition.
Ollie Sapsford is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a midfield back or wing for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and for the Brumbies in Super Rugby.
Justin Sangster is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby. His playing position is lock. He was named in the Hurricanes squad for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season. He was also a member of the Bay of Plenty 2021 Bunnings NPC squad.
Solomone Funaki is a Tongan rugby union player, who currently plays as a loose forward for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby.
Nikora Broughton is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a loose forward for Bay of Plenty in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and will play for the Highlanders in Super Rugby Pacific from 2023.