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8 unusual facts about ITM Cup


Grant Nisbett

He is also a weekly commentator for ITM Cup, Super Rugby, domestic and international cricket matches and occasionally softball matches.

ITM Cup

The ITM Cup (colloquially referred to as "National Provincial Championship" or "NPC") is the highest level of New Zealand domestic professional rugby union competition, contested annually from late August to early November and managed by the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU).

This expansion created the Super 14, adding two extra fixtures to that competition, and also added two more Tri-Nations matches for the All Blacks in non-World Cup years.

The Air New Zealand Cup was unveiled by New Zealand Rugby Union Deputy Chief Executive Steve Tew and Air New Zealand Chief Executive Rob Fyfe at the official launch of the Air New Zealand Cup competition in Auckland.

Provinces of New Zealand

The districts are represented by teams in rugby union's ITM Cup and Heartland Championship, both of which replaced the National Provincial Championship.

Waikato Rugby Union

Its senior representative team competes in the ITM Cup (formerly known as the Air New Zealand Cup), and won the inaugural Air New Zealand Cup in 2006.

Wellington Rugby Football Union

The reorganisation of provincial rugby in 2006 brought all three provinces into the ITM Cup.

The senior Wellington representative team, the Wellington Lions play in the ITM Cup, which replaced the National Provincial Championship in 2006 as the Air New Zealand Cup.


Daniel Faleafa

Daniel Faleafa (born 13 February 1989 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a professional rugby union player for the Northland Rugby Union in the ITM Cup competition.

Frazier Climo

Climo previously played for Scottish Premiership side Ayr RFC and Taranaki in the ITM Cup, where he had a kicking percentage of over 80% success rate.

Josh Bekhuis

Joshua Bekhuis (born 26 April 1985) is a professional rugby union player who plays at lock for the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition and provincially for Southland in the ITM Cup.

Mahonri Schwalger

Mahonri Schwalger (born 15 September 1978 in Apia, Samoa) is a professional rugby union footballer who plays for the Chiefs in the Super Rugby competition and for Counties Manukau in the ITM Cup.


see also