2024 Heartland Championship


The 2024 Heartland Championship, was the 18th 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 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 played at home against the lowest seeds, the second highest seeds played at home against the third highest seeds and the final featured the higher seed playing at home against the lower seed.

Teams

The 2024 Heartland Championship was contested by the following teams:
TeamSuper Rugby partnerCoachHome ground
BullerCrusadersCraig AdamsWestport
Horowhenua-KapitiHurricanesAleni FeagaigaLevin
King CountryChiefsAarin DunsterTaupō, Taumarunui, Te Kūiti
Mid CanterburyCrusadersMatt WinterAshburton
[Ngati Porou East Coast Rugby Football Union|East Coast Rugby Football Union|Ngati Porou East Coast]HurricanesKahu TamateaRuatoria
North OtagoHighlandersJason ForrestOamaru
Poverty BayHurricanesMiah NikoraGisborne
South CanterburyCrusadersNigel WalshTimaru
Thames ValleyChiefsDavid Harrison & Joe MurrayPaeroa
Wairarapa BushHurricanesReece RobinsonMasterton
West CoastCrusadersSean CuttanceGreymouth
WhanganuiHurricanesJason HamlinWhanganui

Regular season standings

On September 2022 Horowhenua-Kapiti played South Canterbury at Eden Park. South Canterbury won the match by 28-24. It was just the fourth time Horowhenua-Kapiti had played at Eden Park and the sixth time for South Canterbury.
In the regular season, South Canterbury topped the standings with 40 points after winning all eight games.
Team
1South Canterbury8800327214+113840
2Whanganui8602383199+184731
3Thames Valley8602348190+158731
4Mid Canterbury8602297215+82630
5King Country8503276179+97828
6Horowhenua-Kapiti8404244289−45622
7East Coast8404212236−24420
8West Coast8305228265−37820
9North Otago8206240201+39614
10Wairarapa Bush8206246393−147513
11Buller8206142402−260210
12Poverty Bay8008190350−16066

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 2024 season South Canterbury once again went unbeaten through the regular season. They scored 327 points, down from 341 the previous year. However, South Canterbury were upset in semi-final 16–17 by their neighbours Mid Canterbury.
In the other semi-final Thames Valley travelled to Cooks Gardens and beat Whanganui by a comfortable 38-15.
The final was played at Boyd Park with the home team Thames Valley beating Mid Canterbury 37-29.

Lochore Cup

King Country finished the regular season 5th and therefore top qualifier for the Lochore Cup. They won their semi-final in a close victory 34-31 over Ngati Porou East Coast. In the other semi-final Horowhenua-Kapiti the 6th placegetter in the regular season were upset, losing to West Coast by 51-52 at the Levin Domain.
The Lochore Cup Final was another close battle with King Country edging West Coast by 46-44.

Bill Osborne Taonga

Since 2022 Heartland teams have played for this 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. Whereas in 2023 Ngati Porou East Coast retained the Bill Osborne Taonga in all four challenges, only one out of six challenges was successfully defended in the 2024 season. Ngati Porou East Coast lost the first challenge from Buller. Buller then lost the Taonga to King Country who then lost it to Thames Valley. Thames Valley in turn lost it to Whanganui who managed to win their first defence against Wairarapa Bush. However Whanganui lost the Taonga to King Country in their second defence.

Challenges

  • 17 August - Ngati Porou East Coast 11 Buller 13
  • 24 August - Buller 27 King Country 54
  • 31 August - King Country 18 Thames Valley 23
  • 7 September - Thames Valley 14 Whanganui 16
  • 21 September - Whanganui 56 Wairarapa Bush 17
  • 5 October - Whanganui 17 - King Country 34

Ian Kirkpatrick Medal

Since 2022, the Heartland Championship Player of the Year award has been awarded a medal named after former All Blacks captain Ian Kirkpatrick.The 2024 winner was Alekesio Vakarorogo.

Heartland XV

In October the 2024 New Zealand Heartland XV team was named.
  • Anthony Amato *
  • Matty Axtens *
  • Quinn Collard *
  • Toddy Doolan
  • Hika Elliot *
  • Sione Etoni *
  • Oneone Faafou *
  • Tokoma’ata Fakatava
  • Paula Fifita
  • Kaleb Foote
  • Kristian Gent-Standen *
  • Poleka Itielu *
  • Finlay Joyce
  • Siu Kakala *
  • Te Huia Kutia
  • Peceli Malanicagi
  • Declan McCormack *
  • Clarence Moli *
  • Ethan Robinson *
  • Tyler Rogers Holden *
  • Raitube Vasurakuta
  • Logan Wakefield *
  • Dallas Wiki *
  • Adam Williamson
  • William Wright

Management team

Heartland XV matches

The Heartland XV played a two-match series at Whanganui against: