Related Research Articles
The National Provincial Championship (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 Bunnings, its naming rights sponsor. A concurrent women's tournament is also held, the Farah Palmer Cup.
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.
Palmerston North Boys' High School is a boys' school in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
The Manawatu Rugby Football Union (MRU) serves as the governing body of the sport of rugby union in the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand.
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).
Aaron Luke Smith is a New Zealand professional rugby union player. A scrum half, Smith played for the Highlanders in Super Rugby where upon retirement in 2023 was the club's all time leader in caps, and for Manawatu in the ITM Cup. He has won 124 caps for New Zealand and is their 2nd most-capped back after Beauden Barrett.
Beauden John Barrett is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a First five-eighth or Fullback for the Blues in Super Rugby and Taranaki in the Bunnings NPC.
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.
Nigel Ah Wong is a professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a wing for Moana Pasifika in Super Rugby and Auckland in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship. Born in New Zealand, he represents Samoa at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
Heiden Kahira Bedwell-Curtis is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays in the flanker position for Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars in the Japanese Top League.
Sarah Hirini is a New Zealand women's rugby union player. She has played fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, as a member of the New Zealand women's national rugby sevens team and New Zealand women's national rugby union team. Hirini was captain of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team that won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and back-to-back gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. During her time with the team they won the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series in 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2022–23 as well as the Sevens league title for the 2023-24 season. She was a member of the fifteen-a-side 2017 and 2021 Black Ferns Rugby World Cup winning squads.
Stacey Jamie Aroha Kirsten Waaka is a New Zealand rugby league player. She played fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, and was a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team and New Zealand Women's National Rugby Union team prior to switching to rugby league in 2024 to play an injury-disrupted season with the Brisbane Broncos. Waaka was a member of the New Zealand Women's Sevens team which won gold medals at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She was also a member of the New Zealand fifteen-a-side team which won the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup and the 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup.
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.
Marino Mikaele-Tu'u is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a loose forward for Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars in the Japan Rugby League One competition.
Manawatu are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. The union was originally established in 1886, with the National Provincial Championship established in 1976. They now play in the reformed National Provincial Championship competition. They play their home games at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North in the Manawatū-Whanganui region. The team is affiliated with the Hurricanes Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are green and white.
Taranaki are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in New Plymouth, New Zealand. The union was originally established in 1889, with the National Provincial Championship established in 1976. They now play in the reformed National Provincial Championship competition. They play their home games at TET Stadium & Events Centre in Inglewood and Yarrow Stadium in the Taranaki region. The team is affiliated with the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise. Their home playing colours are amber and black.
Te Rangatira W. Waitokia is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays for Manawatu in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and Anthem Rugby Carolina in Major League Rugby (MLR). His position is wing or fullback.
Ollie Sapsford is a professional rugby union player, who currently plays as a midfield back or wing for the Brumbies in Super Rugby. In New Zealand, he most recently played for Hawke's Bay in the National Provincial Championship. Born in New Zealand, he represents Australia at international level, being eligible for that country on ancestry grounds.
Shamus Hurley-Langton is a New Zealand rugby union player, currently playing for United Rugby Championship and European Rugby Champions Cup side Connacht. He plays as a flanker or number 8.
The 2024 Bunnings NPC season was the 19th season of New Zealand's provincial rugby union competition, the National Provincial Championship, since it turned professional in 2006. It involved the top 14 provincial rugby unions of New Zealand. For sponsorship reasons, the competition is known as the Bunnings NPC. The regular season began on 9 August 2024, when 2023 champions Taranaki hosted Counties Manukau. The final took place on 26 October 2024, and saw Wellington beat Bay of Plenty 23–20 after extra time. The Ranfurly Shield changed hands twice during the season: Hawke's Bay came into the season as holders and survived two challenges before relinquishing it to Tasman in week 5 in a 25–24 loss; Tasman then survived two more challenges before losing the shield to Taranaki in the final week of the regular season, losing 42–29.
References
- ↑ "Turbos squad confirmed for 2023" (Press release). Manawatu Turbos. 27 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ↑ "ボーディン・ワッカ選手加入のお知らせ" [Announcement of the addition of Beaudein Waaka](PDF) (Press release) (in Japanese). Skyactivs Hiroshima. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ↑ "Two black jerseys for Waaka siblings". Maori Television. 8 June 2015.