With the confirmation of a full schedule, the 11 Provincial Unions teams outside of the Auckland region will play the remaining four weeks of round-robin matches. The Premiership and Championship semi-finals and finals are scheduled for the second and third weekends of November.

The first two weeks of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC were played in full before COVID-19 Alert Level restrictions saw the competition put on hold. With Auckland-based teams confirmed unable to re-join the competition, NZR has made changes to ensure the integrity of the competition is maintained.

A revised Bunnings Warehouse NPC draw can be found here.

In addition to the scheduled round-robin matches, there will be a non-competition match played each week. This will feature teams that would have otherwise played Auckland region teams, to ensure teams don’t go two weeks without a match. Any additional, non-competition matches hosted by the Ranfurly Shield holder will not be considered mandatory challenges.

The first non-competition match will see Tasman hosting Bay of Plenty this Sunday 17 October at 14:00 (NZT).

While the Auckland-based teams’ matches both played and scheduled remain on the points table, points for matches unable to be played against Auckland-based teams will be split 2 points for each team. The final adjustment to the Bunnings Warehouse NPC will see semi-finals and finals played in both the Premiership and Championship but no promotion or relegation for any teams this season.

Steve Lancaster, NZR General Manager of Community Rugby said:

“We are grateful to be confirming the remainder of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC.”

“The teams can continue to train and play with certainty. While our fans and rugby community will have six more weeks of provincial rugby to look forward to.

“We acknowledge there are elements of the competition which have been impacted, which is unfortunate but also unavoidable. It wasn’t an easy decision to remove promotion and relegation, we realize this is disappointing for some teams but with the Auckland region unable to compete, we needed to ensure the competition outcomes are as fair as possible and we also don’t know with any certainty that further teams won’t be impacted by COVID-19 restrictions before the end of the competition.

“The Super City competition for Auckland-based teams is still an option, we continue to work with the teams and key partners on the feasibility of making this happen. Our hope is to have an update later this week.”

Waikato and Northland regions are currently operating under COVID-19 Alert Level 3 restrictions, with the teams from those regions currently based in Tauranga and unable to play at home until those regions return COVID-19 Alert Level 2.

Northland was scheduled to play Otago in Whangarei on Friday 15th November. The match will be relocated to Rotorua, at the same time and day. Waikato was due to host Taranaki at home this Saturday, the team remains hopeful of playing at FMG Stadium and will wait for the government’s next COVID-19 Alert Level update before announcing where they will play.

To read more in-depth and up-to-date Ireland and international rugby news, click here.

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The final week of the regular season of the FPC Premiership and Championship will be completed with the remaining 10 teams. The respective finals series will be played on the first two weekends in October.

New Zealand Rugby General Manager Community Rugby Steve Lancaster said the decision was made in consultation with the three Auckland-based Provincial Unions and the New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association.

“It’s tough on the Auckland-based players who desperately wanted to represent their provinces in the final weeks of the competition, but after consulting with all parties it was clear we could not extend the competition any later than we have already.

“We needed to provide certainty to all involved in the competition and ultimately pushing out the finals again, while the Auckland-based teams are unable to train or play was just not feasible at this time,” Lancaster said.

The @AllBlacks have moved to the top of the World Rugby men's rankings pic.twitter.com/U75h8AVo88

— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) September 20, 2021

Defending champions and competition leaders Canterbury as well as Waikato, currently in second place, have already qualified for the finals series. Wellington Pride are still in the hunt for a semi-finals spot.

If Wellington beat the Bay of Plenty Volcanix in their final match of the regular season at Blake Park in Mount Maunganui this Saturday, 25th September, they will join Canterbury and Waikato in a three team finals series that will see the top qualifier go through to the final and the second and third-placed sides play a preliminary final.

The FPC Championship will go straight to the three-team finals format where current leaders the Manawatu Cyclones will be joined by Northland and Hawke’s Bay.

“In consultation with the Provincial Unions, it was confirmed that we would not replace Auckland teams with teams below them on the points table. For the integrity of the competition, it was agreed that only teams who qualified for the play-offs would progress beyond the end of pool play.”

“While it’s not the finish to the season we’d all hoped for, the positive is that we can look forward to some really meaningful fixtures over the next three weeks and a continuation of the exciting rugby we’ve seen throughout the season,” added Lancaster.

Under current COVID-19 Alert Level 2, the FPC can continue throughout the rest of New Zealand (outside of the Auckland region) if COVID-19 guidelines are followed.

Individual Provincial Unions will determine whether those guidelines are able to be met for this weekend’s rugby and will communicate directly with their respective clubs and schools.

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New Zealand team Announced for Fortinet Rugby Championship Test at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, on Saturday 18 September (Kick-off: 8.05 PM AEST, 10.05 PM NZT).

In the starting front row, Joe Moody is in the number one jersey after his return to the All Blacks off the bench last week, with hooker Samisoni Taukei’aho making his first Test start.

Tyrel Lomax will start in the number three jersey. There is also a welcome return to the All Blacks for prop Ofa Tuungafasi who will return to international rugby via the bench, following his recovery from knee surgery.  Prop George Bower will also bolster the front row from the reserves bench.

In the second row, Patrick Tuipulotu is back from a groin strain and will start alongside Tupou Vaa’i.  Scott Barrett will provide impact from the bench.

In the loose forwards, Ethan Blackadder and Hoskins Sotutu will make their second Test starts, at blindside and number eight respectively while Ardie Savea returns as captain in the number seven jersey. Luke Jacobson is the loose forward cover.

In the back, TJ Perenara is at halfback with Finlay Christie, making his first appearance in the Fortinet Rugby Championship, at reserve halfback. Damian McKenzie has been named to start his second Test in the playmaker 10 jersey while Quinn Tupaea gets his second Test start at 12 inside the experienced Rieko Ioane.

In the outsides, George Bridge is again on the left wing, Will Jordan is right-wing and Jordie Barrett is again at fullback.  Beauden Barrett will provide experience from the bench, with Braydon Ennor making a welcome return to the national side via the bench.

New Zealand team Announced for Fortinet Rugby Championship Brisbane Test against Argentina

All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster spoke about his team selection ahead of their second test against Argentina;

“With five Tests in a row and a six-day turnaround between these two Argentinian Tests, we were always going to make some selection changes. Five Tests in a row demanded that.  But the good thing is that we have a group that has been focussing on the same opposition for the last two weeks, so our preparation time hasn’t been compromised.

“We are expecting a huge response from Argentina and we have to make sure we are prepared for that because we know what a wounded beast is like.  The key is not so much how they respond, but how we respond. If we go into this Test match thinking it’s just going to happen for us like last week without earning the right to have the scoreboard in our favour, then we are in trouble.”

Current sitch.#TRC2021 pic.twitter.com/EGKUionkBm

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) September 13, 2021

Matchday 23 Team – (Test caps in brackets)

1. Joe Moody (51)
2. Samisoni Taukei’aho (5)
3. Tyrel Lomax (9)
4. Patrick Tuipulotu (38)
5. Tupou Vaa’i (6)
6. Ethan Blackadder (4)
7. Ardie Savea (53) – captain
8. Hoskins Sotutu (6)
9. TJ Perenara (72)
10. Damian McKenzie (34)
11. George Bridge (14)
12. Quinn Tupaea (2)
13. Rieko Ioane (41)
14. Will Jordan (7)
15. Jordie Barrett (29)

16. Codie Taylor (61)
17. George Bower (6)
18. Ofa Tuungafasi (39)
19. Scott Barrett (45)
20. Luke Jacobson (8)
21. Finlay Christie (2)
22. Beauden Barrett (95)
23. Braydon Ennor (1)

All Blacks matches – 2021 Fortinet Rugby Championship

Round 1
All Blacks 57 Australia 22, Saturday 14 August, Eden Park, Auckland

Round 2
Australia 21 All Blacks 38, Sunday 5 September, Optus Stadium, Perth

Round 3
All Blacks 39 Argentina 0, Sunday 12 September, Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast

Round 4
Argentina vs All Blacks, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Saturday 18 September
(Kick-off: 8.05PM AEST, 10.05PM NZT)

Round 5
All Blacks vs South Africa, Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Townsville, Saturday 25 September
(Kick-off: 5.05PM AEST, 7.05PM NZT)

Round 6
South Africa vs All Blacks, Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast, Saturday 2 October
(Kick-off: 9.05PM AEST, 11.05PM NZT)

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Bunnings Warehouse NPC, Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) and Heartland Championship matches, as well as all community and school rugby this weekend, will be affected, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced today.

The next rounds of Bunnings Warehouse NPC, FPC, and Heartland Championship will be rescheduled to be played at a later date in the competition.

No community rugby is to be played at any level however Provincial Unions and their local organising bodies will determine whether those matches are cancelled or postponed.

The Government announced on Tuesday 17 August that Auckland and Coromandel will remain at Alert Level 4 for a period of seven days, while the rest of New Zealand is at Alert Level 4 for a period of three days.

NZR General Manager Community Rugby Steve Lancaster said the decision had been made in consultation with Provincial Unions and the Players’ Association in the interests of wider public safety due to the latest COVID-19 community outbreak.

“Although it could be possible to play competitions and matches outside of Auckland and Coromandel if the COVID Alert Levels fell to Level 2 before Saturday, with level 4 restrictions not being lifted until midnight Friday at the earliest, we believe the responsible decision is to make an early call and keep people away from our fields and venues this weekend.

“We understand this decision will be disappointing for some of our stakeholders but are confident the rugby community will once again act in unity to play our part in keeping Aotearoa safe.”

New Zealand rugby. It’s just different pic.twitter.com/uHsCQjsZ9D

— A-P Cronje (@rugby_ap) August 16, 2021

NZR’s decision means Round 3 of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC, the opening round of the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship, and Rounds 6 and 7 of the FPC Championship and Premiership respectively, will now be played at a later date in the competition.

Lancaster said NZR would review the status of all competitions beyond this weekend after the Government’s next COVID update on Friday 20 August.

“Like all New Zealanders we will be guided by the Government and health authorities over the next seven days.”

FT | New Zealand 57-22 Australia

A strong second-half performance by the All Blacks sees them claim their first Rugby Championship win against Australia #NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/6DtpIQoxwy

— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) August 14, 2021

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If successful, these laws could be implemented worldwide and have an effect on Irish teams, including the international side.

In addition to this, some competitions, including New Zealand provincial competitions, will also feature the Red Card Replacement and Golden Point laws introduced by New Zealand Rugby during Super Rugby Aotearoa.

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The new Super Rugby competition, named Investec Super Rugby Aotearoa, is a 10-week competition involving New Zealand’s five Investec Super Rugby clubs – the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders – playing each other home and away.

The competition kicked off on Saturday as the Highlanders hosted the Chiefs at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin, while the following day, the Blues hosted the Hurricanes at Eden Park in Auckland.

Here are the highlights from both games.

Highlanders v Chiefs

Blues v Hurricanes

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The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Aherne said that the country will move level 1 restrictions from midnight after the country reported no new coronavirus cases for 17 days. New Zealand and Australia have both set up domestic tournaments featuring Super Rugby sides. The Highlanders will play the Chiefs on Saturday evening in Dunedin.

There will be no restrictions on crowd size for the first weekend of games. Games will takes place at Otago Regional Stadium on Saturday in Dunedin and Eden Park on Sunday. In addition, Beauden Barrett is expected to make his debut for the Auckland Blues. In fact a side who Dan Carter signed for earlier last week. Barrett will come up against his former team the Wellington Hurricanes which he spent from 2011 to 2019 with them. Barrett has played over 80 times for New Zealand.

In other rugby news RTE Sport report that the Pro14 is expected to be completed behind closed doors. Ulster rugby announced details on their website confirming this. They said they have submitted plans to the NI Executive for a phased return to training at the end of June. The view of these plans are to enable the squad to train together. This is before they participate in closed doors matches at the Aviva Stadium which have been put forward by the IRFU. These games are set to start on the weekend of August 22nd.

Furthermore, Ulster have also announced details regarding season ticket holders and those who bought tickets for Pro14 fixtures. They said, “Season Ticket holders will be entitled to claim an account credit of 20% of the value of their Season Ticket whilst purchasers of tickets to individual matches will be able to claim a full refund. Game Pass holders – Ulster Rugby’s Half Season Ticket – will be entitled to claim a 50% account credit. All claims must be made to the club by Tuesday 30 June”.

John Petrie CEO of Ulster Rugby said, “We would also like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our supporters – and in particular our dedicated Season Ticket holders – who have shown great patience and understanding as we continue to work through what is in no doubt the most difficult situation we are likely to face as an organisation. It is heartening to see how they have chosen to stand up and support us at this time.”

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Twenty-eight year-old Cane, who has played 68 Tests, including 48 starts, since making his debut against Ireland in Christchurch in 2012, succeeds Kieran Read who retired after Rugby World Cup 2019.

All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster said he was delighted to name Cane as the new captain:

“Sam is an experienced All Black with eight years in the team now and is a ‘follow me’ type of leader and a very good thinker in the game. He has a natural ability to connect with everyone in the team and is straightforward and direct when he needs to be.”

The new appointee described it as “massive honour” to be given the captaincy:

“It’s a pretty exciting challenge really and as I’ve spent more time in the All Blacks and grown as a player, I’ve become a lot more comfortable being a leader in the team. The great thing about the All Blacks is that the leadership group is full of captains and experienced players already, so I’m just really looking forward to working closely with that group and doing my best to lead them and the rest of the squad.”

The Rotorua-native (All Black Number 1113) has already captained the All Blacks on three occasions, having become the 67^th Test captain and fifth youngest ever when he captained the team against Namibia at RWC2015 at the age of 23. He also captained the team against Italy in 2016 and against Argentina in Buenos Aires last year.

Sam Cane made his provincial debut for Bay of Plenty in 2010 at just 18 years old and his Super Rugby debut for the Chiefs the following year. In 2011, he was part of the Junior World Championship-winning New Zealand Under 20 side, was the New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year and was also nominated for International Age Grade Player award.

Cane helped the Chiefs to the first of their back-to-back Investec Super Rugby titles in 2012 before making his All Blacks debut in June that year aged 20. He was co-captain of the Chiefs for four years taking sole charge this year and has played 116 games for the club. In 2018 Cane fractured his neck during a Test against South Africa and faced months of recovery post-surgery before making a much-anticipated return to the Chiefs in 2019, helping the team through to the Quarter Finals. A Rugby World Cup 2015 winner with the All Blacks and part of the RWC2019 squad, Cane has scored 13 tries to date for his country.

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