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Air New Zealand Cup
2007 Air New Zealand Cup
Sport	Rugby union
Founded	2006
No. of teams	14
Country(ies)	New Zealand
Most recent champion(s)	Auckland

The Air New Zealand Cup (also referred to by its previous name of the National Provincial Championship, its abbreviation of NPC, or for sponsorship reasons as the Air New Zealand NPC) is New Zealand's professional domestic rugby union competition. It was founded in 2006 with 14 teams, after the NPC was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 provincial teams from the NPC now compete in the amateur Heartland Championship. New Zealand also has five teams in Super 14, an elite competition which also involves sides from Australia and South Africa.

The Air New Zealand Cup is held annually. 14 provincial teams participate, and they each play ten round-robin games; this means that each side misses playing three others. Table points are earned for winning, drawing, losing by seven points or less, and by scoring four or more tries (see rugby union bonus points system). The top eight teams at the end of the round robin then play a quarter-finals round, followed by semi-finals, and then the final.^[1]

The former NPC logo

The Air New Zealand First Division Trophy

The NPC was first contested in 1976, and although the basic format of Division One was much the same from then until the 2006 reorganisation, there were a number of changes to the lower divisions.

Initially, Division One was made up of 11 teams, 7 from the North Island and 4 from the South. The remaining unions contested a split Division Two, with teams from each island playing amongst themselves. The bottom placed Division One team from the South Island played the winner of the Southern Division Two to determine whether they switched divisions, whilst the bottom placed Division One team from the North Island was automatically relegated, switching places with the winner of the Northern Division Two.

The format continued until 1985, when the split Division Two was replaced by a united Division Two and a Division Three. The top and bottom placed teams in each division were automatically promoted and relegated each year.

In 1992, three teams from Division One were relegated so there were 9 teams in each division. Also, 1992 saw the introduction of semi-finals and a final to determine the champion in each division—previously, a league system had been used.

Auckland were the most successful team in the NPC championship, having won 15 of the 30 series.

The only change before 2006 was in 1998, when the number of teams in each division was changed to 10 in Division One, 9 in Division Two, and 8 in Division Three. Having an even number of teams in Division One removed the necessity for byes. Starting that year, automatic promotion/relegation between the top two divisions was ended. In its place, the winner of Division Two played a promotion-relegation match against the bottom club in Division One to determine whether the clubs would switch places. Through 2002, this match was hosted by the bottom team in Division One, but the site was changed in 2003 to the home field of the Division Two champion.

The 2006 reorganisation replaces the three-division setup with two separate competitions. This differs from the two-division 1976-1984 setup, in which Division Two was split on a North Island/South Island basis, in that both divisions are nationwide. Also, the number of teams was reduced to 26, as the Marlborough and Nelson Bays unions merged to form the new Tasman union. The NZRU has ruled that for the first few years, there will be no promotion or relegation between the Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship.

The 2006 expansion of the Super 12 and Tri Nations Series will have a major effect on the Air New Zealand Cup. This expansion will create the Super 14, adding two extra fixtures to that competition, and will also add two more Tri-Nations matches for the All Blacks. Because of these changes, it is intended that players in the All Blacks selection pool will only make limited appearances in the Cup from 2006 on. This may well make the competition more even than in the past.

A map of NZRU provincial boundaries. The teams in teal are Air New Zealand Cup teams, whilst the teams in light blue are Heartland Championship teams

The following teams contest the Air New Zealand Cup:

• Auckland [1]
• Bay of Plenty [2]
• Canterbury [3]
• Counties Manukau [4]
• Hawke's Bay [5]
• Manawatu [6]
• North Harbour [7]
• Northland [8]
• Otago [9]
• Southland [10]
• Taranaki [11]
• Tasman [12] (formed by the merger of the Marlborough and Nelson Bays unions)
• Waikato [13]
• Wellington [14]

The NPC divisions for the 2005 season consisted of:

• Auckland
• Bay of Plenty
• Canterbury
• North Harbour
• Northland
• Otago
• Southland
• Taranaki
• Waikato
• Wellington

The champion was Auckland, who defeated Otago in the final.

All 10 teams in Division One were elevated to the Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.

• Counties Manukau
• East Coast
• Hawke's Bay
• Manawatu
• Marlborough
• Nelson Bays
• North Otago
• Poverty Bay
• Wanganui

The champion was Hawke's Bay, who defeated Nelson Bays for the Division Two title.

Hawke's Bay, Counties Manukau and Manawatu were elevated to the Air New Zealand Cup as intact teams. Nelson Bays and Marlborough merged to form the new Tasman side in the Air New Zealand Cup. East Coast, North Otago, Poverty Bay and Wanganui entered the new Heartland Championship.

• Buller
• Horowhenua-Kapiti
• King Country
• Mid Canterbury
• South Canterbury
• Thames Valley
• Wairarapa-Bush
• West Coast

The champion was Wairarapa-Bush, which defeated Horowhenua-Kapiti in the final.

All Division Three teams joined the Heartland Championship in 2006.

Note: From 1976 to 1984 there was no third division, and also the second division was divided into North and South Island competitions. From 1985 through 2005, there were three divisions, all organised on a nationwide basis.

• 2007 Air New Zealand Cup
• 2006 Air New Zealand Cup
• Heartland Championship
• Ranfurly Shield
• List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues — the Air New Zealand Cup and NPC in a worldwide context

• Summary of the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup format at allblacks.com (PDF)

• Official Air New Zealand Cup website
• Air New Zealand Cup News from Prime Rugby
• ANZ Rugby News
• NPC Rugby News
• Virtual Air NZ Cup Game
• standings and latest results for rugby union club competitions