The Heartland Championship is an annual round-robin rugby union competition in men's domestic New Zealand rugby. First played in 2006, it is the third highest level of competition in New Zealand alongside the Ranfurly Shield. It is organised by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and since 2026, it has been known as the Hilux Heartland Championship after Toyota Hilux, its naming rights sponsor.
Following the 2005 National Provincial Championship the NPC was restructured into two competitions. The Heartland Championship would include semi-professional and amateur players, and consist of the bottom twelve populated and performing regional teams. The higher ranked teams would compete in the reformed professional National Provincial Championship.
Format
The Heartland Championship is held annually, and starts in August. Rugby teams from 12 provincial unions compete.
Points are earned during the competition based on the following schedule:
4 points for a win 2 points for a draw 0 points for a loss 1 bonus point for scoring 4 or more tries, regardless of the final result 1 bonus point for a loss by 7 points or less
Prior to 2011 Prior to the 2011 Competition, the tournament was conducted in three rounds. Before the "Heartland Championship" name was adopted, this competition was tentatively called "Division One" of the NPC. This was similar to the structure of the 2006 Air New Zealand Cup, but that competition collapsed its first two phases into one effective in 2007. At the start of Round One, the 12 teams would split into seeded pools of six teams each, Pool A and Pool B. Seedings were also based on positions in the previous year's competition. During Round One, each team would play the other teams in its pool once. All teams would have either two or three home fixtures, with the three highest seeds in each pool at the start of the season receiving the extra home fixture.
All teams would advance to Round Two. The top three teams in each pool advance to the Meads Cup, while the bottom three teams enter the Lochore Cup.
Round two saw each team in both the Meads and Lochore Cups playing the three teams that it did not play during Round One. The three teams with the most competition points in Round One would play two home fixtures and one away, while the other three teams would play one home fixture and two away.
All competition points from Round One carried over to Round Two, and the competition points earned in both rounds determined the teams that advanced to the semifinals of each Cup in Round Three. The top four teams in the Meads and Lochore Cup competitions at the end of Round Two advanced to the semifinals.
Round Robin This round sees the 12 teams playing 8 games each. 1st to 4th on the ladder at the end of the 8 weeks will play off for the Meads Cup, while 5th to 8th play off for the Lochore Cup.
Finals The Meads and Lochore Cup winners are both determined in four-team single-elimination tournaments. The semifinal matchups are seeded 1-4 and 2-3, with the higher seed receiving home field advantage. The highest surviving seed hosts each Cup final.
Teams The Heartland Championship is contested by the following teams: TeamUnionEstablishedLocationVenueBuller Buller Rugby Union Westport Victoria SquareNgati Porou East Coast Ngāti Porou East Coast Rugby Union Ruatoria Whakarua ParkHorowhenua Kapiti Horowhenua Kapiti Rugby Football Union Levin Levin DomainKing Country King Country Rugby Union Te Kuiti Rugby Park, Te KuitiMid Canterbury Mid Canterbury Rugby Union Ashburton Ashburton ShowgroundsNorth Otago North Otago Rugby Football Union Oamaru Whitestone Contracting StadiumPoverty Bay Poverty Bay Rugby Football Union Gisborne More FM Rugby ParkSouth Canterbury South Canterbury Rugby Football Union Timaru Alpine Energy StadiumThames Valley Thames Valley Rugby Union Paeroa Boyd ParkWairarapa Bush Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union Masterton Trust House Memorial ParkWest Coast West Coast Rugby Union Greymouth John Sturgeon ParkWhanganui Whanganui Rugby Football Union Whanganui Cooks Gardens
Prior to 2006, East Coast, North Otago, Poverty Bay and Whanganui competed in Division Two of the NPC, alongside Counties-Manukau, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, Nelson Bays and Marlborough (all promoted to the Air New Zealand Cup, Nelson Bays and Marlborough merging to form Tasman). The remaining teams competed in Division Three of the NPC.
Champions
Year Meads Cup Lochore Cup 2006 Wairarapa Bush Poverty Bay 2007 North Otago Poverty Bay 2008 Wanganui Poverty Bay 2009 Wanganui North Otago 2010 North Otago Wairarapa Bush 2011 Wanganui Poverty Bay 2012 East Coast Buller 2013 Mid Canterbury South Canterbury 2014 Mid Canterbury Wanganui 2015 Wanganui King Country 2016 Wanganui North Otago 2017 Wanganui Mid Canterbury 2018 Thames Valley Horowhenua-Kapiti 2019 North Otago South Canterbury 2021 South Canterbury Whanganui 2022 South Canterbury East Coast 2023 South Canterbury West Coast2024Thames Valley King Country2025 Mid Canterbury North Otago
No Heartland Championship was held in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Meads Cup winners
TeamTitlesYearsRunners-upYears Whanganui 2008, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2019, 2022, 2023 Mid Canterbury 2013, 2014, 2025 2008, 2009, 2024 South Canterbury 2021, 2022, 2023 2015, 2018, North Otago 2007, 2010, 2019 2013 Thames Valley 2018, 2024 2021, 2025 Ngati Porou East Coast 2012 2011 Wairarapa Bush 2006 Buller 2014, 2016 Horowhenua-Kapiti 2017King Country Poverty Bay West Coast
Lochore Cup winners
TeamTitlesYearsRunners-upYears Poverty Bay 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011 2023 North Otago 2009, 2016, 2025 2014, 2015, 2021 South Canterbury 2013, 2019 2007, 2011, 2012 Whanganui 2014, 2021 King Country 2015, 2024 2006, 2016 Buller 2012 2010, 2013 West Coast 2023 2009, 2017, 2019, 2024 Horowhenua-Kapiti 2018 2008, 2025 Mid Canterbury 2017 2022 Ngati Porou East Coast 2022 Wairarapa Bush 2010 2018Thames Valley
Osborne Taonga
In 2021, a new challenge trophy for the Heartland Championship teams was announced, named after 16-test All Black Bill Osborne. It would follow similar rules to the Ranfurly Shield.
The Osborne Taonga was designed and created by Otaki-based Kaiwhakaairo (carver) and artist Jason Hina (Ngā Rauru Kiitahi, Te Atihaunui ā Pāpārangi, Ngāti Apa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kauwhata and Ngāti Raukawa) and fellow carver Bill Doyle, who created the Tū Kotahi Aotearoa trophy.
The 5th ranked team from the 2021 Heartland Championship regular season, Poverty Bay, was the inaugural winner of this trophy after beating the 6th placed Mid Canterbury by 33 points to 26. Poverty Bay therefore earned the right to defend the trophy in the 2022 Heartland Championship season.
Ian Kirkpatrick Medal
Since 2022, the Heartland Championship Player of the Year award has been awarded a medal named after former All Blacks captain Ian Kirkpatrick.
Winners of the Medal are: 2022 Sam Parkes (East Coast). Other finalists were Siu Kakala (South Canterbury) and Semi Vodosese (Whanganui). 2023 Siu Kakala (South Canterbury). Other finalists were Stuart Leach (Poverty Bay) and Alekesio Vakarorogo (Whanganui) 2024 Alekesio Vakarorogo (Whanganui) 2025 Keanu Taumata (Poverty Bay)
Heartland Championship representative team Each year, a New Zealand Heartland XV is selected to recognise the top performing players in the Championship. The team selected plays various fixtures and in some years goes on an overseas tour.
See also National Provincial Championship (1976–2005) National Provincial Championship (2006–present) List of New Zealand rugby union teams Hanan Shield competed for by Mid Canterbury, North Otago and South Canterbury Rundle Cup played between Buller and West Coast
References
External links Official Heartland Championship Website