2008 Heartland Championship

The 2008 Heartland Championship was a provincial rugby union competition involving 12 teams from New Zealand split into two pools. Matches started on Saturday 23 August 2008 and ended with the final on 25 October.[1]

The 2008 season was to be the last in its current format. On 11 August 2008 the New Zealand Rugby Union announced that Tasman and Northland would be the two teams 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 might have meant that the Tasman union would have been split into its constituent Nelson Bays and Marlborough unions, and that the Heartland Championship would have needed to accommodate three further teams. On 26 September 2008 the New Zealand Rugby Union rescinded this decision.

Wanganui won the Meads Cup and Poverty Bay won the Lochore Cup. Each team has reached the respective cup final in all three years of the Heartland Championship. Poverty Bay has won each Lochore Cup, while 2008 was Wanganui's first Meads Cup championship.

Standings

The 12 teams were split into two pools, with the top 3 from each pool after 5 rounds advancing to the Meads Cup round, whilst the bottom 3 from each pool played for the Lochore Cup.

Pool A
Qualified for Meads Cup
Qualified for Lochore Cup
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP1 BP2 Pts
1 North Otago 540112375+482018
2 West Coast 530211087+232216
3 Buller 53118382+10115
4 Horowhenua-Kapiti 5122107125-183011
5 Wairarapa Bush 5104116147-313310
6 South Canterbury 511393116-23118

Pool B
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP1 BP2 Pts
1 Wanganui 550024053+1875025
2 Mid Canterbury 540117196+754020
3 King Country 530211996+232014
4 Poverty Bay 520311790+272010
5 Thames Valley 510464171-107004
6 East Coast 500515220-205000

Table notes
  • 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 = Bonus Point (1 Bonus Point will be awarded to any team that scores 4 tries or more regardless of win/loss/draw.)
  • BP2 = Bonus Point (1 Bonus Point will be awarded to the losing side if the loss is 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 higher ranked team is decided on the basis of who won when they met in pool play. If they remain tied, then it is decided by points differential.

Fixtures and results

Round 1
Pool Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue Attendance
A Wairarapa Bush (2 BP) 31-37 West Coast (1 BP) 23 August 2008 Masterton 1,000
A Buller 18-17 South Canterbury (1 BP) 23 August 2008 Westport 400
A North Otago (1 BP) 32-11 Horowhenua-Kapiti 23 August 2008 Oamaru 750
B Mid Canterbury (1 BP) 49-20 Thames Valley 23 August 2008 Ashburton 200
B King Country 18-0 Poverty Bay 23 August 2008 Te Kuiti 550
B Wanganui (1 BP) 71-6 East Coast 23 August 2008 Wanganui 1,100

Round 2
Pool Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue Attendance
A West Coast (1 BP) 9-15 North Otago 30 August 2008 Greymouth 300
A Buller 16-16 Horowhenua-Kapiti 30 August 2008 Westport 500
A South Canterbury 19-27 Wairarapa Bush (1 BP) 30 August 2008 Timaru 500
B Thames Valley 0-43 Wanganui (1 BP) 30 August 2008 Paeroa 300
B King Country (1 BP) 32-3 East Coast 30 August 2008 Taupo 800
B Poverty Bay 13-26 Mid Canterbury (1 BP) 30 August 2008 Gisborne 550

Round 3
Pool Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
A Horowhenua-Kapiti (1BP) 13-15 West Coast 6 September 2008 Paraparaumu
A North Otago 10-18 South Canterbury 6 September 2008 Oamaru
A Wairarapa Bush (1BP) 8-11 Buller 6 September 2008 Masterton
B East Coast 3-20 Thames Valley 6 September 2008 Ruatoria
B Mid Canterbury (1BP) 32-17 King Country 6 September 2008 Ashburton
B Wanganui (1BP) 36-16 Poverty Bay 6 September 2008 Wanganui

This was the first time Buller had beaten Wairarapa Bush at Masterton in the history of the two unions' meetings.

Round 4
Pool Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
A Buller 18–22 North Otago 13 September 2008 Westport
A South Canterbury 8–30 West Coast (1BP) 13 September 2008 Timaru
A Wairarapa Bush (2BP) 31–36 Horowhenua-Kapiti (1BP) 13 September 2008 Masterton
B Poverty Bay (1BP) 43–10 Thames Valley 13 September 2008 Gisborne
B King Country 19–47 Wanganui (1BP) 13 September 2008 Te Kuiti
B Mid Canterbury (1BP) 52–3 East Coast 13 September 2008 Ashburton

Round 5
Pool Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue Attendance
A West Coast (1BP) 19–20 Buller 20 September 2008 Greymouth 600
A North Otago (1BP) 44–19 Wairarapa Bush 20 September 2008 Oamaru 600
A Horowhenua-Kapiti (1BP) 31–31 South Canterbury (1BP) 20 September 2008 Levin 500
B Thames Valley 14–33 King Country (1BP) 20 September 2008 Te Aroha 600
B Wanganui (1BP) 43–12 Mid Canterbury 20 September 2008 Wanganui 1,500
B East Coast 0–43 Poverty Bay (1BP) 20 September 2008 Ruatoria 500

Buller wins the 2008 Rundle Cup

Meads and Lochore Cups

Standings

Lochore Cup Pool
Qualified for playoff
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP1 BP2 Pts
1 Poverty Bay 8404196121+753023
2 Horowhenua-Kapiti 8323234174+605021
3 Wairarapa Bush 8305202194+84319
4 South Canterbury 8314181167+142219
5 Thames Valley 810797255-158004
6 East Coast 800850306-356000

Meads Cup Pool
Team Pld W D L PF PA PD BP1 BP2 Pts
1 Wanganui 880035378+2757039
2 Mid Canterbury 8701225129+965033
3 North Otago 8503169117+523124
4 West Coast 8305122146-242321
5 Buller 8413135164-290119
6 King Country 8305157172-153116

Fixtures and results

Round 6
Pool Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue Attendance
M Wanganui (1BP) 42–10 Buller 27 September 2008 Wanganui 1,200
M North Otago (1BP) 27–8 King Country 27 September 2008 Oamaru 300
M Mid Canterbury 7–5 West Coast (1BP) 27 September 2008 Ashburton 200
L Horowhenua-Kapiti (1BP) 73–7 East Coast 27 September 2008 Levin 700
L Poverty Bay 19–5 South Canterbury 27 September 2008 Gisborne 500
L Wairarapa Bush 11–0 Thames Valley 27 September 2008 Masterton 400

Round 7
Pool Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
M West Coast 7–52 Wanganui (1BP) 4 October 2008 Westport
M North Otago (1BP) 11–15 Mid Canterbury 4 October 2008 Oamaru
M Buller 25–8 King Country 4 October 2008 Westport
L Thames Valley 6–36 Horowhenua-Kapiti (1BP) 4 October 2008
L Poverty Bay 24–8 Wairarapa Bush 4 October 2008 Gisborne
L East Coast 5–46 South Canterbury (1BP) 4 October 2008 Ruatoria

Round 8
Pool Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
M Wanganui 19–8 North Otago 11 October 2008 Wanganui
M Mid Canterbury (1BP) 32–17 Buller 11 October 2008 Ashburton
M King Country (2BP) 22–24 West Coast 11 October 2008 Taupo
L Horowhenua-Kapiti 18–36 Poverty Bay (1BP) 11 October 2008 Levin
L South Canterbury (1BP) 37–27 Thames Valley 11 October 2008 Timaru
L Wairarapa Bush (1BP) 67–23 East Coast 11 October 2008 Masterton

Knockout stage

Lochore Cup
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
18 October – Gisborne
 
 
 Poverty Bay43
 
25 October – Gisborne
 
 South Canterbury30
 
 Poverty Bay26
 
18 October – Levin
 
 Horowhenua-Kapiti5
 
 Horowhenua-Kapiti37
 
 
 Wairarapa Bush17
 

Semifinals
Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
Poverty Bay 43–30 South Canterbury 18 October 2008 Gisborne
Horowhenua-Kapiti 37–17 Wairarapa Bush 18 October 2008 Levin

Final
Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
Poverty Bay 26–5 Horowhenua-Kapiti 25 October 2008 Gisborne

Meads Cup
 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
18 October – Wanganui
 
 
 Wanganui40
 
25 October – Wanganui
 
 West Coast18
 
 Wanganui27
 
18 October – Ashburton
 
 Mid Canterbury12
 
 Mid Canterbury38
 
 
 North Otago24
 

Semifinals
Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
Wanganui 40–18 West Coast 18 October 2008 Wanganui
Mid Canterbury 38–24 North Otago 18 October 2008 Ashburton

Final
Home Score Away Match Information
Date Venue
Wanganui 27–12 Mid Canterbury 25 October 2008 Wanganui
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See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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