2024 Bunnings NPC (draft)

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2024 Bunnings NPC season
Countries  New Zealand
Date9 August – 26 October 2024
Official website
www.provincial.rugby
← 2023
2025 →

The 2024 Bunnings NPC season is the nineteenth season of New Zealand's provincial rugby union competition, the National Provincial Championship, since it turned professional in 2006. It involves the top fourteen provincial rugby unions of New Zealand. For sponsorship reasons, the competition is known as the Bunnings NPC. The regular season begins on Friday 9 August 2024, when 2023 Champions Taranaki host Counties Manukau. The Final is scheduled for Saturday 26 October 2024.

Format

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Under the current competition format, which is a continuation of that of 2023, the 14 provincial unions participating in the Bunnings NPC are grouped in one single division, ranked on one single competition table and play for one NPC title.[1][2]

All provincial teams play ten games during the regular season (round robin): five games are played at the provincial union's home ground and five games are away games. The seven teams that finished the previous season in 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th place will play each other as well as four cross-over matches against the teams that finished 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th and 14th. Likewise, the teams that finished 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 12th and 14th will also play each other as well as four cross-over games against the provinces that were ranked 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th or 13th at the end of the previous season.[1][2] The ten round robin games in 2024 are played over a period of nine weeks (starting on Friday 9 August 2024) and include one mid-week game to be played on a Wednesday night.[3]

The regular season is followed by quarter-finals to be played by the eight highest ranked teams on the competition table. The finals rankings are determined by the number of competition points earned during the regular season. Competition points can be gained in the following way: four points are awarded to the winning team, two points to each team for a draw, and no points for a loss. Teams can also receive a bonus point if they score four or more tries in a match, or lose by seven points or less.[4]

If two or more provincial teams finish with an equal number of competition points, the following tiebreaker rules apply. If two unions are tied, the union which has defeated the other in a head-to-head is placed higher. In case of a draw between them, the side with the biggest points difference is ranked higher. If three or more unions are tied and they have all played each other, the team with most competition points in that year against the other tied unions is ranked higher; if they have not all played each other, the team with the biggest points difference in the round robin is ranked higher. In all cases, if these unions are still tied, the ranking is decided by the highest number of tries scored, the most points scored, or a coin toss.[1]

The quarter-finals are played as follows, with the highest ranked team hosting:

QF 1: 1 v 8;
QF 2: 2 v 7;
QF 3: 3 v 6; and
QF 4: 4 v 5.

In the semi-finals, the highest-ranked quarter-final winner hosts the lowest-ranked quarter-final winner and the second highest-ranked quarter-final winner hosts the third highest-ranked quarter-final winner.

The NPC Final will be played between the two semi-final winners, again at the home venue of the team with the higher finals ranking.[1][2]

The rules governing Ranfurly Shield Challenges state that every home game during the regular season played by the union that holds the Ranfurly Shield is a mandartory challenge match. No challenge matches will be played after the regular season has ended (i.e., during the finals). A holder who competes in the Bunnings NPC must also accept at least two challenges from unions competing in the Heartland Championship, including a challenge lodged by the winner of the Meads Cup at the end of the previous season. These non-mandatory challenge matches must be played before the start of the NPC season.[1]

Standings

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The current standings for the 2024 Bunnings NPC season are:

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Auckland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Bunnings NPC quarter-finals
2 Bay of Plenty 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Canterbury 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Counties Manukau 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Hawke's Bay (RS) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Manawatu 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 North Harbour 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Northland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Otago 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
10 Southland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Taranaki 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Tasman 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Waikato 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Wellington 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: Friday 9 August 2024. Source: Bunnings NPC fixtures & standings 2024
RS: Ranfurly Shield holders

Standings progression

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The table below shows each team's progression throughout the season. For each round of the regular season, their cumulative points total is shown with the overall log position in brackets.

Team W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 QF SF Final
Auckland 0
(---)
Bay of Plenty 0
(---)
Canterbury 0
(---)
Counties Manukau 0
(---)
Hawke's Bay 0
(---)
Manawatu 0
(---)
North Harbour 0
(---)
Northland 0
(---)
Otago 0
(---)
Southland 0
(---)
Taranaki 0
(---)
Tasman 0
(---)
Waikato 0
(---)
Wellington 0
(---)
Key: win draw loss no game DNQ = did not qualify

Regular season

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During the regular season of the 2024 Bunnings NPC, each team plays 10 games over a period of nine weeks, including one mid-week game. The competition starts on Friday 9 August 2024, when Taranaki hosts Counties Manukau in New Plymouth.[3]

Week 1

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9 August 2024 Taranaki v Counties Manukau Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth  
17:35 NZST
9 August 2024 Auckland v Wellington Eden Park, Auckland  
19:35 NZST
10 August 2024 Canterbury v Northland Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch  
14:05 NZST
10 August 2024 Southland v Otago Rugby Park, Invercargill  
14:05 NZST
10 August 2024 Waikato v Bay of Plenty FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton  
16:35 NZST
11 August 2024 North Harbour v Hawke's Bay North Harbour Stadium, Albany  
14:05 NZST
11 August 2024 Manawatu v Tasman Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North  
16:35 NZST
14 August 2024 Bay of Plenty v Counties Manukau Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua  
19:05 NZST

Week 2

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16 August 2024 Otago v Auckland Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin  
19:05 NZST
17 August 2024 Northland v Manawatu Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei  
14:05 NZST
17 August 2024 Tasman v Canterbury Trafalgar Park, Nelson  
14:05 NZST
Ranfurly Shield game 17 August 2024 RS – Hawke's Bay v Southland McLean Park, Napier  
16:35 NZST
18 August 2024 Bay of Plenty v North Harbour Tauranga Domain, Tauranga  
14:05 NZST
18 August 2024 Wellington v Taranaki Jerry Collins Stadium, Porirua  
14:05 NZST
18 August 2024 Counties Manukau v Waikato Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe  
16:35 NZST

Week 3

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Ranfurly Shield game 23 August 2024 RS – Hawke's Bay v Northland McLean Park, Napier  
19:05 NZST
24 August 2024 Counties Manukau v Tasman Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe  
14:05 NZST
24 August 2024 Auckland v Canterbury Eden Park, Auckland  
16:35 NZST
24 August 2024 Southland v Taranaki Rugby Park, Invercargill  
19:05 NZST
25 August 2024 Otago v Bay of Plenty Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin  
14:05 NZST
25 August 2024 Wellington v Manawatu Jerry Collins Stadium, Porirua  
14:05 NZST
25 August 2024 North Harbour v Waikato North Harbour Stadium, Albany  
16:35 NZST
28 August 2024 Canterbury v Hawke's Bay Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch  
19:05 NZST

Week 4

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30 August 2024 Northland v Southland Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei  
19:05 NZST
31 August 2024 North Harbour v Counties Manukau North Harbour Stadium, Albany  
14:05 NZST
31 August 2024 Taranaki v Otago Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth  
14:05 NZST
31 August 2024 Waikato v Auckland FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton  
16:35 NZST
31 August 2024 Tasman v Bay of Plenty Lansdowne Park, Blenheim  
19:05 NZST
1 September 2024 Canterbury v Wellington Rangiora Showground Oval, Rangiora  
14:05 NZST
1 September 2024 Manawatu v Hawke's Bay Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North  
16:35 NZST
4 September 2024 Waikato v Northland FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton  
19:05 NZST

Week 5

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6 September 2024 Bay of Plenty v Manawatu Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua  
19:05 NZST
7 September 2024 Auckland v North Harbour  
14:05 NZST
7 September 2024 Wellington v Southland Jerry Collins Stadium, Porirua  
14:05 NZST
7 September 2024 Otago v Canterbury Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin  
16:35 NZST
Ranfurly Shield game 7 September 2024 RS – Hawke's Bay v Tasman McLean Park, Napier  
19:05 NZST
8 September 2024 Taranaki v Waikato Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth  
14:05 NZST
8 September 2024 Counties Manukau v Northland Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe  
16:35 NZST
11 September 2024 Otago v Wellington Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin  
19:05 NZST

Week 6

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13 September 2024 Southland v Canterbury Rugby Park, Invercargill  
19:05 NZST
14 September 2024 Bay of Plenty v Taranaki Tauranga Domain, Tauranga  
14:05 NZST
14 September 2024 North Harbour v Manawatu North Harbour Stadium, Albany  
16:35 NZST
14 September 2024 Waikato v Hawke's Bay FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton  
19:05 NZST
15 September 2024 Counties Manukau v Otago Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe  
14:05 NZST
15 September 2024 Tasman v Wellington Lansdowne Park, Blenheim  
14:05 NZST
15 September 2024 Northland v Auckland Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei  
16:35 NZST
18 September 2024 Manawatu v Southland Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North  
19:05 NZST

Week 7

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Ranfurly Shield game 20 September 2024 RS – Hawke's Bay v Taranaki McLean Park, Napier  
19:05 NZST
21 September 2024 Northland v North Harbour Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei  
14:05 NZST
21 September 2024 Wellington v Bay of Plenty Sky Stadium, Wellington  
14:05 NZST
21 September 2024 Waikato v Tasman FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton  
16:35 NZST
21 September 2024 Canterbury v Counties Manukau Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch  
19:05 NZST
22 September 2024 Auckland v Southland Eden Park, Auckland  
14:05 NZST
22 September 2024 Manawatu v Otago Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North  
16:35 NZST
25 September 2024 Taranaki v North Harbour Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth  
19:05 NZST

Week 8

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27 September 2024 Counties Manukau v Wellington Navigation Homes Stadium, Pukekohe  
19:05 NZST
28 September 2024 Bay of Plenty v Northland Tauranga Domain, Tauranga  
14:05 NZST
Ranfurly Shield game 28 September 2024 RS – Hawke's Bay v Auckland McLean Park, Napier  
14:05 NZST
28 September 2024 Otago v Tasman Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin  
16:35 NZST
29 September 2024 North Harbour v Canterbury North Harbour Stadium, Albany  
14:05 NZST
29 September 2024 Southland v Waikato Rugby Park, Invercargill  
14:05 NZST
29 September 2024 Taranaki v Manawatu Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth  
16:35 NZST
2 October 2024 Tasman v Auckland Trafalgar Park, Nelson  
19:05 NZST

Week 9

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4 October 2024 Northland v Otago Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei  
19:05 NZST
5 October 2024 Manawatu v Counties Manukau Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North  
14:05 NZST
5 October 2024 Southland v North Harbour Rugby Park, Invercargill  
16:35 NZST
5 October 2024 Wellington v Hawke's Bay Sky Stadium, Wellington  
16:35 NZST
5 October 2024 Canterbury v Waikato Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch  
19:05 NZST
6 October 2024 Tasman v Taranaki Trafalgar Park, Nelson  
14:05 NZST
6 October 2024 Auckland v Bay of Plenty Eden Park, Auckland  
16:35 NZST

Play-offs

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The play-off fixtures are as follows: TBD

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
         
1  
8  
 
 
4  
5  
 
 
2  
7  
 
 
3  
6  

Quarter-finals

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11 October 2024 TBD v TBD  
19:05 NZST
12 October 2024 TBD v TBD  
16:35 NZST
12 October 2024 TBD v TBD  
19:05 NZST
13 October 2024 TBD v TBD  
14:05 NZST

Semi-finals

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18 October 2024 TBD v TBD  
19:05 NZST
19 October 2024 TBD v TBD  
19:05 NZST

Final

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26 October 2024 TBD v TBD  
NZST

Statistics

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Leading point scorers

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No. Player Team Points Average Details
1 0 0 0 T, 0 C, 0 P, 0 D
2 0 0 0 T, 0 C, 0 P, 0 D
3 0 0 0 T, 0 C, 0 P, 0 D
4 0 0 0 T, 0 C, 0 P, 0 D
5 0 0 0 T, 0 C, 0 P, 0 D
6 0 0 0 T, 0 C, 0 P, 0 D
7 0 0 0 T, 0 C, 0 P, 0 D
8 0 0 0 T, 0 C, 0 P, 0 D
9 0 0 0 T, 0 C, 0 P, 0 D
10 0 0 0 T, 0 C, 0 P, 0 D

Source: The weekly reviews of the matches published on provincial.rugby (see "Report" in the individual match scoring stats).

Leading try scorers

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No. Player Team Tries Average
1 0 0
2 0 0
3 0 0
4 0 0
5 0 0
6 0 0
7 0 0
8 0 0
9 0 0
10 0 0

Source: The weekly reviews of the matches published on provincial.rugby (see "Report" in the individual match scoring stats).

Points by game

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Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total Average
Auckland 0 0 0 0
Bay of Plenty 0 0 0 0
Canterbury 0 0 0 0
Counties Manukau 0 0 0 0
Hawke's Bay 0 0 0 0
Manawatu 0 0 0 0
North Harbour 0 0 0 0
Northland 0 0 0 0
Otago 0 0 0 0
Southland 0 0 0 0
Taranaki 0 0 0 0
Tasman 0 0 0 0
Waikato 0 0 0 0
Wellington 0 0 0 0

Source: Bunnings NPC Fixtures and Results 2024[3]

Tries by game

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Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Total Average
Auckland 0 0 0 0
Bay of Plenty 0 0 0 0
Canterbury 0 0 0 0
Counties Manukau 0 0 0 0
Hawke's Bay 0 0 0 0
Manawatu 0 0 0 0
North Harbour 0 0 0 0
Northland 0 0 0 0
Otago 0 0 0 0
Southland 0 0 0 0
Taranaki 0 0 0 0
Tasman 0 0 0 0
Waikato 0 0 0 0
Wellington 0 0 0 0
For Against

Source: The weekly reviews of the matches published on provincial.rugby (see "Report" in the individual match scoring stats).

Sanctions

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Player Team   Red   Yellow Sent off match(es):
0 0

Ranfurly Shield

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Pre-season challenges

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On 29 February 2024, the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union confirmed that 2023 Meads Cup winners South Canterbury and King Country were the Heartland Championship teams to challenge Hawke's Bay for the Ranfurly Shield in 2024.[5] However, on 22 May 2024, it was announced that South Canterbury had withdrawn from its challenge for financial reasons and that Whanganui – the 2023 Heartland Championship runners-up – would take its place.[6]

26 June 2024
15:00 NZST
Hawke's BayvKing Country
Hawke’s Bay Regional Sports Park, Hastings[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "2024 NZR Competitions Regulations Handbook" (PDF). New Zealand Rugby Union. 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "Bunnings Warehouse NPC – Key Information". provincial.rugby. 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Bunnings Warehouse NPC Fixtures & Results". provincial.rugby. 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Adjustment to Mitre 10 Heartland Championship bonus points system". RugbyHeartland.co.nz. 2 September 2016. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  5. ^ "2024 Ranfurly Shield Heartland fixtures announcement". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (Press release). 29 February 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Change in Ranfurly Shield game confirmed". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (Press release). 22 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Venue confirmed for the first Ranfurly Shield defence of 2024". Hawke's Bay Rugby Union (Press release). 19 April 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
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