2008 rugby union competition
The 2008 National Provincial Championship was the third season of the National Provincial Championship (known as the Air New Zealand Cup for sponsorship reasons), a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand, since it was reorganised in 2006. Matches started on 31 July 2008, and continued until the final on 25 October 2008.
This season was the third of the expanded competition, which succeeded the First Division of the National Provincial Championship . It started with a 10-week round robin in which each team played against all but three of the others in the competition. This was followed by a knockout playoff involving eight teams, made up of quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.
On 11 August 2008, the New Zealand Rugby Union initially announced that Tasman and Northland would both be relegated from the Air New Zealand Cup after the completion of the 2008 season. Both teams failed to meet criteria which included financial stability, population, player training and development, playing history, and administration. This decision was reversed towards the end of the 2008 season, with Tasman and Northland remaining in the competition for two more years.[ 1]
Canterbury won their sixth national provincial title by defeating Wellington 7–6 at Wellington Regional Stadium , Wellington . It was the third consecutive season that Wellington have finished runners-up.
Qualified for the quarterfinals
The top eight teams in pool play advanced to the quarterfinals.
Pos = Table position Pld = Played W = Win (worth 4 points) D = Draw (worth 2 points) L = Loss (worth 0 points) PF = For (total points scored) PA = Against (total points scored against) PD = Points difference BP1 = Try bonus point (1 bonus point was awarded to any team that scores four tries or more regardless of win/loss/draw) BP2 = Losing bonus point (1 bonus point was awarded to the losing side if the loss was by 7 points or less) Pts = Progressive points tally NB:
It is possible to receive 2 bonus points in a loss. In the event of a tie on points the ranking of teams is decided by:[ 2] The winner of the last match between the two provinces if played this season then, Highest points differential then, Most tries scored then, A coin toss. Home Score Away Match information Date Venue Attendance Northland 18–10 Waikato 31 July 2008 Homeworld Stadium , Whangārei 3,000 Tasman (1 BP) 7–8 Bay of Plenty 31 July 2008 Lansdowne Park , Blenheim 2,500 Wellington (1 BP) 30–6 Hawke's Bay 1 August 2008 Wellington Regional Stadium , Wellington 7,148 Taranaki 20–13 North Harbour (1 BP) 1 August 2008 Yarrow Stadium , New Plymouth 6,300 Canterbury (1 BP) 24–25 Manawatu 2 August 2008 Lancaster Park , Christchurch 7,500 Southland (1 BP) 23–25 Otago 2 August 2008 Rugby Park Stadium , Invercargill 7,500 Counties-Manukau 17–6 Auckland 3 August 2008 Growers Stadium , Pukekohe 6,500
Home Score Away Match information Date Venue Attendance North Harbour (1 BP) 27–30 Wellington (1 BP) 7 August 2008 North Harbour Stadium , Albany 3,500 Manawatu 5–18 Southland 8 August 2008 FMG Stadium , Palmerston North 7,000 Waikato (1 BP) 14–16 Tasman 8 August 2008 Waikato Stadium , Hamilton 7,100 Otago (1 BP) 13–20 Canterbury 9 August 2008 Carisbrook , Dunedin 5,000 Bay of Plenty (1 BP) 45–3 Counties-Manukau 9 August 2008 International Stadium , Rotorua 6,300 Hawke's Bay (1 BP) 43–31 Northland 9 August 2008 McLean Park , Napier 4,000 Auckland (RS) 22–6 Taranaki 10 August 2008 Eden Park , Auckland 9,500
Home Score Away Match information Date Venue Attendance Manawatu (1 BP) 38–38 Waikato (1 BP) 14 August 2008 FMG Stadium , Palmerston North 4,000 Otago 23–18 Northland (1 BP) 15 August 2008 Carisbrook , Dunedin 3,500 Wellington (1 BP) 64–7 Counties-Manukau 15 August 2008 Wellington Regional Stadium , Wellington 6,260 Bay of Plenty (1 BP) 38–31 North Harbour (2 BP) 16 August 2008 Baypark Stadium , Tauranga 9,200 Hawke's Bay (1 BP) 16–20 Southland 16 August 2008 McLean Park , Napier 5,600 Canterbury (1 BP) 34–3 Auckland 16 August 2008 Lancaster Park , Christchurch 9,000 Tasman 33–23 Taranaki 17 August 2008 Trafalgar Park , Nelson 5,600
Home Score Away Match information Date Venue Attendance Counties-Manukau 8–22 Otago 21 August 2008 Mount Smart Stadium , Auckland 1,000 Northland (1 BP) 10–15 Bay of Plenty 22 August 2008 Homeworld Stadium , Whangārei 14,200 Southland 7–26 Wellington (1 BP) 22 August 2008 Rugby Park Stadium , Invercargill 7,500 Auckland (RS) 25–3 Manawatu 23 August 2008 Eden Park , Auckland 7,500 Tasman 6–41 Hawke's Bay (1 BP) 23 August 2008 Lansdowne Park , Blenheim 3,500 Taranaki 0–14 Canterbury 23 August 2008 Yarrow Stadium , New Plymouth 6,400 North Harbour 15–10 Waikato (1 BP) 24 August 2008 North Harbour Stadium , Albany 3,800
Home Score Away Match information Date Venue Attendance Southland (1 BP) 31–8 Counties-Manukau 28 August 2008 Rugby Park Stadium , Invercargill 7,000 Taranaki (1 BP) 39–21 Northland 29 August 2008 Yarrow Stadium , New Plymouth 4,000 Otago 10–19 Hawke's Bay 29 August 2008 Carisbrook , Dunedin 4,500 Wellington (1 BP) 48–12 Bay of Plenty 30 August 2008 Wellington Regional Stadium , Wellington 15,242 Manawatu (1 BP) 17–20 North Harbour 30 August 2008 FMG Stadium , Palmerston North 7,000 Waikato (1 BP) 34–13 Auckland 30 August 2008 Waikato Stadium , Hamilton 9,500 Canterbury (1 BP) 44–15 Tasman 31 August 2008 Lancaster Park , Christchurch 8,000
Home Score Away Match information Date Venue Attendance Hawke's Bay 18–14 Taranaki (1 BP) 4 September 2008 McLean Park , Napier 6,300 Bay of Plenty (1 BP) 31–20 Otago 5 September 2008 Baypark Stadium , Tauranga 13,500 Manawatu 13–36 Wellington (1 BP) 5 September 2008 FMG Stadium , Palmerston North 8,000 Auckland (RS) 13–9 Southland 6 September 2008 Eden Park , Auckland 7,500 Northland 10–31 Tasman (1BP) 6 September 2008 Homeworld Stadium , Whangārei 6,000 North Harbour 9–36 Canterbury (1BP) 6 September 2008 North Harbour Stadium , Albany 3,900 Waikato 20–15 Counties-Manukau (1 BP) 7 September 2008 Waikato Stadium , Hamilton 12,000
Home Score Away Match information Date Venue Attendance Taranaki 14–3 Manawatu 11 September 2008 Yarrow Stadium , New Plymouth 4,800 Bay of Plenty (1 BP) 20–25 Auckland 12 September 2008 International Stadium , Rotorua 8,000 Northland (1 BP) 3–5 Canterbury 12 September 2008 Homeworld Stadium , Whangārei 4,200 Tasman 21–21 Otago 13 September 2008 Trafalgar Park , Nelson 6,700 Southland (1BP) 43–7 North Harbour 13 September 2008 Rugby Park Stadium , Invercargill 6,482 Wellington (1BP) 45–33 Waikato (1 BP) 13 September 2008 Wellington Regional Stadium , Wellington 13,122 Counties-Manukau 14–45 Hawke's Bay (1 BP) 14 September 2008 Growers Stadium , Pukekohe 4,850
Home Score Away Match information Date Venue Attendance Canterbury (1 BP) 37–20 Bay of Plenty 18 September 2008 Lancaster Park , Christchurch 9,500 Tasman (1 BP) 3–6 Southland 19 September 2008 Lansdowne Park , Blenheim 4,500 Otago (2BP) 27–31 Taranaki (1BP) 19 September 2008 Carisbrook , Dunedin 2,000 Counties-Manukau (1BP) 27–14 Manawatu 20 September 2008 Growers Stadium , Pukekohe 3,700 Hawke's Bay (1BP) 24–15 Waikato 20 September 2008 McLean Park , Napier 7,800 Auckland (RS) 0–27 Wellington (1BP) 20 September 2008 Eden Park , Auckland 16,000 North Harbour (1BP) 24–35 Northland (1BP) 21 September 2008 North Harbour Stadium , Albany 2,500
Home Score Away Match information Date Venue Attendance Bay of Plenty 24–22 Southland (1BP) 25 September 2008 Baypark Stadium , Tauranga 8,100 Waikato (1 BP) 39–10 Otago 26 September 2008 Waikato Stadium , Hamilton 8,500 Taranaki 13–13 Counties-Manukau 26 September 2008 Yarrow Stadium , New Plymouth 6,500 North Harbour (1BP) 22–29 Auckland (1BP) 27 September 2008 North Harbour Stadium , Albany 5,700 Wellington (RS) 26–20 Tasman (1BP) 27 September 2008 Wellington Regional Stadium , Wellington 14,143 Canterbury (1BP) 31–7 Hawke's Bay 27 September 2008 Lancaster Park , Christchurch 10,065 Northland (1 BP) 45–24 Manawatu (1 BP) 28 September 2008 Homeworld Stadium , Whangārei 4,200
Home Score Away Match information Date Venue Attendance Waikato (1BP) 45–41 Taranaki (2BP) 2 October 2008 Waikato Stadium , Hamilton 8,500 Southland 6–25 Canterbury 3 October 2008 Rugby Park Stadium , Invercargill 9,000 Hawke's Bay (1BP) 46–12 Bay of Plenty 3 October 2008 McLean Park , Napier 7,327 Manawatu 7–36 Tasman (1BP) 4 October 2008 FMG Stadium , Palmerston North 5,000 Counties-Manukau (1BP) 28–57 North Harbour (1 BP) 4 October 2008 (1BP) Mount Smart Stadium , Auckland 800 Otago (1BP) 36–21 Wellington 4 October 2008 Carisbrook , Dunedin 3,500 Auckland 13–21 Northland 5 October 2008 Eden Park , Auckland 6,540
Seasons
Unions Other Stadium