Heartland Championship

Key information

The Heartland Championship is New Zealand’s top level non-professional provincial rugby competition, featuring 12 unions from smaller regions. It has been contested annually since 2006. During the regular season, teams play a round robin competition before finals match ups are decided depending on where teams finished. Teams finishing 1-4 during the regular season then go on to the semifinals and final of the Meads Cup. Teams finishing 5-8 during the regular season go on to the semifinals and final of the Lochore Cup.

 

Meads Cup

The Meads Cup is named after Sir Colin Meads KNZM MBE, who played for Waitete RFC (Te Kuiti) and King Country, before being selected for the All Blacks. In later years, he managed the 1995 All Blacks. 

 

Read more about Sir Colin Meads here: Colin Meads » NZ Rugby Stats

Roll of Honour
Meads Cup
  • 2006: Wairarapa Bush
  • 2007: North Otago
  • 2008: Wanganui
  • 2009: Wanganui
  • 2010: North Otago
  • 2011: Wanganui
  • 2012: East Coast
  • 2013: Mid Canterbury
  • 2014: Mid Canterbury
  • 2015: Wanganui
  • 2016: Wanganui
  • 2017: Wanganui
  • 2018: Thames Valley
  • 2019: North Otago
  • 2020: No competition was held due to COVID-19
  • 2021: South Canterbury
  • 2022: South Canterbury
  • 2023: South Canterbury
  • 2024: Thames Valley
  • 2025: Mid Canterbury

Lochore Cup

The Lochore Cup is named after Sir Brian Lochore ONZ KNZM OBE who played for Masterton and Wairarapa Bush, before being selected for the All Blacks. After retiring from playing, he moved into coaching and selector roles for Wairarapa Bush and the All Blacks. 

Read more about Sir Brian Lochore here: Brian Lochore » NZ Rugby Stats

Roll of Honour
Lochore Cup
  • 2006: Poverty Bay
  • 2007: Poverty Bay
  • 2008: Poverty Bay
  • 2009: North Otago
  • 2010: Wairarapa Bush
  • 2011: Poverty Bay
  • 2012: Buller
  • 2013: South Canterbury
  • 2014: Wanganui
  • 2015: King Country
  • 2016: North Otago
  • 2017: Mid Canterbury
  • 2018: Horowhenua Kapiti
  • 2019: South Canterbury
  • 2020: No competition was held due to COVID-19
  • 2021: Wanganui
  • 2022: East Coast
  • 2023: West Coast
  • 2024: King Country
  • 2025: North Otago