King Country made the perfect start to their campaign, travelling to Levin with the Taonga firmly in their sights after losing it to Horowhenua Kāpiti last season.
The two sides couldn’t be separated at half-time, locked at 17 all, but King Country found another gear after the break to secure a thrilling 45-41 victory.
Four second-half tries, all converted by Patrick Hedley, proved decisive as King Country reclaimed the Bill Osborne Taonga and immediately put their mark on the 2026 competition.
The Taonga is now back in King Country hands, but they’ll have to put it on the line this weekend, against Thames Valley.
There were contrasting fortunes for the East Coast sides as both East Coast and Poverty Bay opened their campaigns at home against South Canterbury and Wairarapa Bush.
It was a good day on the road for the visitors, with South Canterbury producing a confident 44-20 victory over East Coast.
In Gisborne, Wairarapa Bush edged Poverty Bay 20-17 in a dramatic finish, with Hoera Stephenson breaking local hearts with a late penalty to snatch victory for the visitors.
Thames Valley made one of the biggest statements of the opening round, running riot against Buller to claim an 89-26 victory.
Quinn Collard was in outstanding form, contributing 29 points through 12 conversions and a try, while loose forward Oneone Faafou Soisoi crossed for a first-round hat-trick. The result puts Thames Valley firmly on the early-season radar, with the side showing plenty of attacking firepower in their opening outing.
Further south, North Otago produced an impressive upset in Oamaru, defeating defending champions Mid Canterbury 37-26.
A 17-point haul from Rico Muliaina helped the home side to a memorable victory and ensured the defending champions will already be looking to bounce back when they return to the field.
On the West Coast, Whanganui proved too strong for the hosts, running out 62-21 winners. Juan Tantrum led the scoring with 22 points as Whanganui made a statement of their own, putting together a commanding performance to begin their campaign.
With the first round now in the books, the Heartland Championship has wasted little time delivering what it does best – competitive provincial rugby, big performances and plenty of twists and turns. And with the Bill Osborne Taonga already changing hands, the chase for Heartland Championship honours is officially underway.