2015 Heartland Championship

The 2015 Heartland Championship, the tenth edition of the Heartland Championship since the 2006 reconstruction of the National Provincial Championship, was a rugby union competition involving the twelve semi-professional rugby unions in New Zealand. The tournament involved a round-robin stage in which the twelve teams played eight games each and then the top four advanced to the Meads Cup semifinals, while fifth to eighth advanced to the Lochore Cup semifinals. In both of these knockout stages the top seeds (first and fifth) played at home against the lowest seeds (fourth and eighth), the second highest seeds (second and sixth) played at home against the third highest seeds (third and seventh) and the final had the higher seed playing at home against the lower seed.

2015 Heartland Championship
Date22 August 2015 (2015-08-22)–25 October 2015 (2015-10-25)
CountriesNew Zealand New Zealand
Final positions
Champions Wanganui (Meads Cup)
King Country (Lochore Cup)
Runner-upSouth Canterbury (Meads Cup)
North Otago (Lochore Cup)
2014
2016

Teams

The 2015 Heartland Championship was contested by the following teams.

Team Super Rugby partner Hometown Home stadium Capacity
Buller Crusaders Westport Victoria Square 5,000
East Coast Hurricanes Ruatoria Whakarua Park 3,000
Horowhenua-Kapiti Hurricanes Levin Levin Domain 6,500
King Country Chiefs Taupō Owen Delany Park 20,000
Mid Canterbury Crusaders Ashburton Ashburton Showgrounds 5,000
North Otago Highlanders Oamaru Whitestone Contracting Stadium 7,000
Poverty Bay Hurricanes Gisborne More FM Rugby Park 18,000
South Canterbury Crusaders Timaru Fraser Park 12,000
Thames Valley Chiefs Paeroa Paeroa Domain 3,000
Wairarapa Bush Hurricanes Masterton Trust House Memorial Park 10,000
Wanganui Hurricanes Wanganui Cooks Gardens 15,000
West Coast Crusaders Greymouth Rugby Park 6,000

Standings

Pos. Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts
1 South Canterbury 8701346162+1847035
2 Mid Canterbury 8701295228+675134
3 Wanganui 8611318185+1336133
4 Wairarapa Bush 8404238192+465223
5 Horowhenua-Kapiti 8404263261+25223
6 Buller 8404200187+133221
7 King Country 8413245192+533021
8 North Otago 8404189252−632220
9 Thames Valley 8305206255−494016
10 West Coast 8305184208−243116
11 Poverty Bay 8107227333−1064210
12 East Coast 8008112368−256112
Meads Cup qualification
Lochore Cup qualification

In the case of a two-team tie on points the ranking of teams is decided by:

  • (1) the winner of the round robin match between the two provinces; then
  • (2) highest point difference; then
  • (3) most tries scored; then
  • (4) a coin toss.

In the caseof a three-team or more tie on points the ranking of teams is decided by:

  • (1) the province with the most wins against other tied provinces in the Round Robin; then
  • (2) if two teams remain tied they shall be ranked according to the criteria listed above, but if more than two teams remain tied, they shall be ranked according to criteria (2) to (4) only.

Finals

Semifinals

Meads Cup
17 October 2015 South Canterbury 25–21 Wairarapa Bush Fraser Park, Timaru  
14:30 (NZST) Report
17 October 2015 Mid Canterbury 11–26 Wanganui Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton  
14:30 (NZST) Report
Lochore Cup
17 October 2015 Horowhenua-Kapiti 12–57 North Otago Horowhenua Community Trust Levin Domain, Levin  
14:00 (NZST) Report
17 October 2015 Buller 6–20 King Country Victoria Square, Westport  
14:30 (NZST) Report

Finals

Meads Cup
24 October 2015 South Canterbury 11–28 Wanganui Fraser Park, Timaru  
16:35 (NZST) Report
Lochore Cup
24 October 2015 King Country 47–34 North Otago Rugby Park, Te Kuiti  
13:35 (NZST) Report
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