NPC fixtures for 2025 confirmed
Yesterday at 04:55 AM
NEWS: New Zealand domestic rugby will hit the ground running in August, with the 2025 NPC draw announced on Monday and featuring some scintillating Round One fixtures.
Reigning champions, Wellington, will host traditional heavyweights in Canterbury.
Battle lines will be drawn in the deep south with Southland hosting Otago for Stag Day while the Ranfurly Shield will be up for grabs when Taranaki host Northland.
Stag Day will aim to get more than 10,000 passionate fans through the gate on August 2, cementing it as the single biggest sporting event in Southland.
Fans showed their love to the NPC in 2024 with an 11 percent increase in social media followers (on official channels) and the 2024 Final attracting an audience of 451k on various broadcasting platforms.
New Zealand Rugby General Manager of Community Rugby Steve Lancaster said on the back of an exciting and engaging 2024 competition that fans can expect more of the same when the competition kicks off on July 31.
"Last year's NPC was enthralling.
"The quality of play we saw on the field really amplified the traditional rivalries on which this competition was built.
"The dramatic Final in Wellington going to extra time, in the rain, was a perfect example of the passion and excitement this competition continues to deliver," said Lancaster.
The competition will run across ten weekends of round robin with all 14 teams represented in a single points table, with the top eight teams progressing to the play-offs.
The quarterfinals see the top-ranked team hosting (1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5).
The following weekend's semifinals will see teams play-off for a spot in the Finals (1 v 4, 2 v 3).
The Final will be hosted by the highest-ranking qualifier on Saturday, October 25.
See the full NPC round robin draw below...
Round One
(Kick-off is New Zealand Standard Time plus 12 hours GMT)
Thursday, July 31
Auckland v Waikato (19.05)
Friday, August 1
Manawatu v North Harbour (19.05)
Saturday August 2
Wellington v Canterbury (14.05)
Southland v Otago (16.35)
Taranaki v Northland (19.05)
Sunday August 3
Bay of Plenty v Tasman (14.05)
Hawke's Bay v Counties Manakau (16.35)
Round Two
Friday, August 8
Northland v Southland (14.05)
Saturday August 9
Waikato v Wellington (14.05)
Tasman v Manawatu (16.35)
Canterbury v Auckland (19.05)
Sunday, August 10
Counties Manukau v Bay of Plenty (14.05)
Otago v Hawke's Bay (16.35)
Round Three
Friday August 15
Southland v Manawatu (19.05)
Saturday August 16
Bay of Plenty v Canterbury (14.05)
Northland v Tasman (14.05)
Auckland v Taranaki (16.35)
Hawke's Bay v North Harbour (19.05)
Sunday, August 17
Wellington v Otago (14.05)
Waikato v Counties Manukau (16.35)
Round Four
Thursday, August 21
Bay of Plenty v Southland (19.05)
Friday, August 22
Hawke's Bay v Canterbury (19.05)
Saturday August 23
Taranaki v Waikato (14.05)
North Harbour v Tasman (16.35)
Auckland v Northland (19.05)
Sunday August 24
Otago v Counties Manukau (14.05)
Manawatu v Wellington
Round Five
Friday, August 29
North Harbour v Bay of Plenty (19.05)
Saturday, August 30
Canterbury v Manawatu (14.05)
Counties Manukau v Taranaki (14.05)
Northland v Hawke's Bay (16.35)
Tasman v Otago (19.05)
Sunday, August 31
Wellington v Auckland (14.05)
Waikato v Southland (16.35)
Round Six
Thursday, September 4
Counties Manukau v North Harbour (19.05)
Friday, September 5
Otago v Northland (19.05)
Saturday, September 6
Hawke's Bay v Wellington (14.05)
Manawatu v Waikato (14.05)
Southland v Canterbury (16.05)
Sunday, September 7
Taranaki v Bay of Plenty (14.05)
Tasman v Auckland (16.35)
Round Seven
Thursday, September 11
Northland v Wellington (19.05)
Friday, September 12
Waikato v North Harbour 19.05
Saturday, September 13
Bay of Plenty v Hawke's Bay (14.05)
Otago v Taranaki (16.05)
Sunday, September 14
Auckland v Manawatu (14.05)
Canterbury v Tasman (14.05)
Southland v Counties Manukau (16.35)
Round Eight
Friday, September 10
Taranaki v Hawke's Bay (19.05)
Saturday, September 20
Counties Manukau v Auckland (14.05)
Wellington v Southland (14.05)
Canterbury v Otago (16.35)
Tasman v Waikato (19.05)
Sunday, September 21
North Harbour v Northland (14.05)
Manawatu v Bay of Plenty (16.35)
Round Nine
Thursday September 25
Hawke's Bay v Auckland (19.05)
Friday, September 26
Southland v Tasman (19.05)
Saturday, September 27
Otago v North Harbour (13.05)
Taranaki v Wellington (14.05)
Sunday, September 28
Bay of Plenty v Waikato (14.05)
Counties Manukau v Manawatu (14.05)
Northland v Canterbury (16.35)
Round 10
Friday, October 3
North Harbour v Southland (19.05)
Saturday, October 4
Auckland v Otago (14.05)
Wellington v Bay of Plenty (14.05)
Waikato v Northland (16.35)
Manawatu v Hawke's Bay (19.05)
Sunday, October 5
Tasman v Counties Manukau (14.05)
Canterbury v Taranaki (16.35)
