| Date | 16 August 2025 (2025-08-16)–19 October 2025 (2025-10-19) |
|---|---|
| Countries |  New Zealand |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Mid Canterbury (Meads Cup) (Lochore Cup) |
| Runner-up | Thames Valley (Meads Cup) (Lochore Cup) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 54 |
← 2024 2026 → | |
The 2025 Heartland Championship, is the 19th edition of the Heartland Championship, a rugby union competition involving the twelve amateur provincial unions in New Zealand.
The tournament began with a round-robin stage in which the twelve teams played eight games each, from which the top four advance to the Meads Cup, while fifth to eighth best teams advance to the Lochore Cup. The four teams in each respective Cup play "knock out" semi-finals to determine the finalists. The top seeds in each (the first and fifth best teams in the regular season) play at home against the lowest seeds (fourth and eighth) while the second highest seeds (second and sixth best) play at home against the third highest seeds (third and seventh). The final of each cup features the higher seed playing at home against the lower seed.[1]
Teams
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The 2025 Heartland Championship comprises the following teams:
Regular season
The following are the results from the regular season.[2][3]
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
Round 8
In September West Coast were sanctioned with a financial penalty of $5,000 and 15 competition points for a breach of Heartland Championship player eligibility rules.[18]
Regular season standings
In the 2025 season Mid Canterbury were clearly dominant going unbeaten through the regular season and gaining the maximum 40 points. On the field they scored 368 points versus 186 against. The 2025 Heartland regular season was a very even competition with five teams winning 5 of their 8 matches. Three teams won 4 of their 8 games but one of those teams, West Coast, was unable to make the semi-finals due to the loss of 15 competition points.
Last year's Meads Cup champion Thames Valley was third after the regular season, as they had been in 2024. The 2024 Lochore Cup winner did not make the semi-finals this season.
| Pos. | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | BP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mid Canterbury | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 368 | 186 | +182 | 0 | 40 |
| 2 | South Canterbury | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 297 | 239 | +58 | 4 | 29 |
| 3 | Thames Valley | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 335 | 172 | +163 | 4 | 29 |
| 4 | Wairarapa Bush | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 290 | 226 | +64 | 3 | 28 |
| 5 | Whanganui | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 258 | 220 | +38 | 1 | 26 |
| 6 | North Otago | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 279 | 290 | -11 | 1 | 26 |
| 7 | Poverty Bay | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 249 | 247 | +2 | 5 | 25 |
| 8 | Horowhenua Kapiti | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 242 | 221 | +21 | 1 | 21 |
| 9 | King Country | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 259 | 234 | +25 | 5 | 15 |
| 10 | West Coast | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 268 | 203 | +65 | 3 (-15) | 8 |
| 11 | Buller | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 129 | 378 | -249 | 2 | 7 |
| 12 | Ngati Porou East Coast | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 112 | 470 | -358 | 1 | 1 |
| Meads Cup qualification | |
| Lochore Cup qualification |
Finals
In the Meads Cup the top placegetter plays at their home ground against the fourth team while the second placed team plays at home against the third. In the Lochore Cup the fifth placegetter plays at their home ground against the eighth team while the sixth placed team plays at home against the seventh. The winning semi-finalists then meet in the respective finals for each Cup, played at the home-ground of the team ranked highest in the regular season.
Meads Cup
In the Meads Cup the top team from the regular season, Mid Canterbury, played the 4th placed Wairarapa Bush in their semi-final at Ashburton. Mid Canterbury won a close match 21-19 to qualify for the final.
In the other semi-final South Canterbury played Thames Valley at Timaru. Thames Valley prevailed by 61-31 with their No 8 Aporosa Vuniyayawa scoring four tries.
In the Meads Cup final Mid Canterbury beat Thames Valley 21-18 at Ashburton.[19][20]
Bracket
| Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 1 | Mid Canterbury | 21 | |||||||
| 4 | Wairarapa Bush | 19 | |||||||
| 1 | Mid Canterbury | 21 | |||||||
| 3 | Thames Valley | 18 | |||||||
| 2 | South Canterbury | 31 | |||||||
| 3 | Thames Valley | 61 | |||||||
Semi-finals
| 11 October 2025 | Mid Canterbury | 21–19 | Wairarapa Bush | Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton | ||
| 13:35 | Try: Samo (2) 9', 26' Con: Reekie (1/2) 10', 15 Pen: Reekie (3/3) 4', 12', 40+1' |
Report | Try: Finau Vea 16' Walton-Sexton 34' Cunningham 74' Con: Eschenbach (2/3) 35', 75' Cards: Malatai  76'
|
| 11 October 2025 | South Canterbury | 31–61 | Thames Valley | Fraser Park, Timaru | ||
| 15:35 | Try: Leatigaga 13' Saunders 30' Filimoehala 40+1' Masi 41' Con: Wright (4/4) 14', 31', 40+2', 42' Pen: Wright (1/1) 7' |
Report | Try: Vuniyayawa (4) 10', 26', 36', 60' Vakapuna Etoni 44' Davenport 48' Allen 53' Con: Collard (7/7) 11', 27', 37', 45', 49', 54', 61' Pen: Collard (4/4) 17', 56, 68', 72' |
Final
| 18 October 2025 14:05 |
| Mid Canterbury | 21–18 | Thames Valley |
| Try: McCormack 10' Best 28' McClea 49' Con: Reekie (3/3) 11', 29', 50' Pen: Reelie (0/1) | Report | Try: Allen 54' Lafituanai 61' Con: Collard (1/2) 62' Pen: Collard (0/1) Cards: Huiarangi 75' |
| Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton |
Lochore Cup
Whanganui finished the regular season 5th and therefore top qualifier for the Lochore Cup. In their semi-final they played at home against Horowhenua Kapiti. However, in a game that went to extra time, Horowhenua Kapiti upset them 40-18.
In the other semi-final North Otago played at Oamaru against Poverty Bay, winning a close match by 48-46.[21]
In the Lochore Cup final North Otago beat Horowhenua Kapiti 64-47 in a high-scoring match at Oamaru.[22]
Bill Osborne Taonga
Since 2022 Heartland teams have played for challenge trophy, named after 16-test All Black Bill Osborne and based on similar rules to the Ranfurly Shield played for by National Provincial Championship teams. King Country started the 2025 season as the holder of the Bill Osborne Taonga having secured it by beating Whanganui 34–17 in October 2024.[23]
Challenges
- 23 August - King Country 47 Poverty Bay 26
- 6 September - King Country 36 Horowhenua Kapiti 46
- 13 September - Horowhenua Kapiti 27 West Coast 26
- 27 September - Horowhenua Kapiti 22 vs Wairarapa Bush 21
Ian Kirkpatrick Medal
At the end of each season (since 2022), a Heartland Championship Player of the Year will be chosen and they will be awarded this medal, named after former All Blacks captain Ian Kirkpatrick.
The 2025 Ian Kirkpatrick winner was Keanu Taumata the Poverty Bay flanker and co-captain.[24]
The previous season's winner was Alekesio Vakarorogo (Whanganui).[25]
See also
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- Hanan Shield competed for by Mid Canterbury, North Otago and South Canterbury
- Rundle Cup played between Buller and West Coast
- New Zealand Heartland XV
- Ranfurly Shield 2020–2029
- 2025 Bunnings NPC
References
- ^ "About Heartland - RUGBY HEARTLAND". rugbyheartland.co.nz. 6 April 2014.
- ^ "Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship". Provincial Rugby.
- ^ "HEARTLAND CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW 2025 - RUGBY HEARTLAND". 19 March 2025.
- ^ "Rugby: Win for Whanganui in Heartland season opener". NZ Herald.
- ^ "Rugby: Whanganui coach expects fierce clash with North Otago". NZ Herald.
- ^ "The Press". www.thepress.co.nz.
- ^ "Welcome back Weka: Poverty Bay start Heartland Championship in style". NZ Herald.
- ^ "Rugby Park return: Derby a fitting first game since 2022". NZ Herald.
- ^ "No answer to West Coast's men of steel". NZ Herald.
- ^ "Rugby: Whanganui secure second bonus-point win". NZ Herald.
- ^ "The Press". www.thepress.co.nz.
- ^ "'It was Poverty Bay's game': Second Heartland win to the Weka". NZ Herald.
- ^ "'We'll have to be wary': Whanganui coach on West Coast challenge". NZ Herald.
- ^ "Giant Briant locked and loaded for Weka debut". NZ Herald.
- ^ "The Post". www.thepost.co.nz.
- ^ "Rugby: Whanganui smash East Coast 64-19 to climb Heartland ladder". NZ Herald.
- ^ "Wairarapa-Bush big winners in Heartland and NPC action on Saturday". 4 October 2025.
- ^ "West Coast Rugby Union sanctioned during Heartland Championship". NZ Rugby.
- ^ "Mid Canterbury Crowned Meads Cup Champions". allblacks.com. 18 October 2025.
- ^ "Three-hour roundtrips for training: Heartland hooker chasing Meads Cup glory". ZB. 18 October 2025.
- ^ "Heartland finals set after thrilling semi upsets and late drama". NZ Herald.
- ^ "North Otago win Lochore Cup in high-scoring thriller". Otago Daily Times Online News. 19 October 2025.
- ^ "King Country Lochore Cup Champions after Extra Time Epic - RUGBY HEARTLAND". 20 October 2024.
- ^ Wrigley, Wynsley. "'A huge honour': Man himself presents Taumata the Ian Kirkpatrick medal". NZ Herald.
- ^ "Rugby: Whanganui player named Heartland Player of the Year". NZ Herald. 15 January 2025.
