King Country, who sat at the top of the table for much of the season, dropped to third after a loss to Whanganui. Mid Canterbury held on against a fast-finishing Thames Valley to claim top spot.
In Ashburton, Mid Canterbury looked to have the game in hand, leading 36-20 midway through the second half. Two tries in two minutes to the visitors cut the margin to two points, but Tom Reekie slotted a late penalty to secure a 39-34 win.
Whanganui toppled competition leaders King Country but fell just short of earning a home Lochore Cup semi-final. King Country scored three first-half tries to take a handy lead into the break. Whanganui then kept them scoreless in the second half and ran in three unanswered tries of their own to win 31-21.
North Otago sent a message to the competition, scoring 11 tries in a 71-33 win over West Coast. Hooker Jake Greenslade grabbed a hat-trick, while Ben McCarthy was the round's top points scorer with 21. The bonus-point victory locked in a home Meads Cup semi-final for North Otago.
South Canterbury hosted Poverty Bay and claimed a 52-29 bonus-point win to confirm a home Lochore Cup semi-final this weekend. Siu Kakala scored a hat-trick, taking his tally to nine tries for the season.
Horowhenua Kāpiti travelled to Westport and came away 52-26 winners over Buller. Leighton Ralph crossed for three tries, and the bonus-point result secured a home Lochore Cup semi-final.
Wairarapa Bush were pushed hard by Ngāti Porou East Coast before a late flurry of tries blew the score out to 56-26. The home side led by just two points at the break, and it was a stalemate for the opening 20 minutes of the second half. Wairarapa Bush then ran in four tries in 10 minutes and added another on fulltime to seal the win.
Final standings after round eight
- Mid Canterbury, 33 points
- North Otago, 32 points
- King Country, 32 points
- Thames Valley, 29 points
- South Canterbury, 28 points
- Horowhenua Kāpiti, 28 points
- Whanganui, 27 points
- Wairarapa Bush, 25 points
North Otago take second place on their head-to-head result, having beaten King Country 32-31 in round three. South Canterbury take fifth on points difference (+131) ahead of Horowhenua Kāpiti (+59). The two sides did not meet in the round robin.
Meads Cup semi-finals
Mid Canterbury (1) v Thames Valley (4), 10 October 2026 at Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton
North Otago (2) v King Country (3), 10 October 2026 at Whitestone Contracting Stadium, Oamaru
Lochore Cup semi-finals
South Canterbury (5) v Wairarapa Bush (8), 10 October 2026 at Fraser Park, Timaru
Horowhenua Kāpiti (6) v Whanganui (7), 10 October 2026 at Levin Domain, Levin