The 2009 Air New Zealand Cup was the 33rd provincial rugby union competition, the fourth since the competition's reconstruction in 2006, involving the top 14 provincial unions in New Zealand. It ran for 15 weeks from 30 July to 7 November. It was also the last edition of the provincial competition to use the Air New Zealand Cup name, as the competition's sponsorship contract with Air New Zealand ended after that season. The 2010 competition will be held under a new name, the ITM Cup.
2009 Air New Zealand Cup | |
---|---|
Countries | New Zealand |
Date | 30 July – 7 November |
Champions | Canterbury |
Runners-up | Wellington |
Matches played | 91 |
Tries scored | 420 (average 4.6 per match) |
Top point scorer | Matt Berquist (159) |
Top try scorer | Zac Guildford (13) |
Unlike previous seasons the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup did not have quarterfinals in their finals format, instead going straight to the semifinals with the top four teams rather than the top eight.[1]
Canterbury were the eventual champions, winning their second title in a row and their seventh overall, it was the first time Canterbury had gone back-to-back in the provincial championship. They beat Wellington, 28–20, at Lancaster Park in Christchurch on 7 November. Wellington were down 18–3 at halftime but came back to close the scores to 25–20 in Canterbury's favour, but a late penalty goal by Stephen Brett put Wellington out of reach and gave Canterbury the win and the championship.[2]
Doubts were raised throughout the season with serious support coming from the four teams likely to be axed, Counties Manukau, Northland, Manawatu, and Tasman, and their supporters, while the financial sustainability of the two unions who were to be promoted to the new first division was questioned.[3][4] On 11 December the New Zealand Rugby Union decided to stick with the 14 team Air New Zealand Cup and the 12 team Heartland Championship format through 2010.[5]
Round robin
editThe round robin was the first phase of the competition, which consisted of 91 games over 13 weeks from 30 July to 25 October. The rugby union bonus points system was used to determine which four teams were to go on to the finals. There were seven games in each round.[1]
After the round robin Hawke's Bay, Southland, Wellington and Canterbury came out on top to advance to the finals.
Semifinalist | |
(RS) | Ranfurly Shield holders |
Standings
editThe top four teams from the round robin advanced to the semifinals.[6]
Pos. | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | BP1 | BP2 | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Canterbury | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 369 | 231 | 138 | 4 | 3 | 47 |
2 | Wellington | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 362 | 237 | 125 | 5 | 2 | 43 |
3 | Southland (RS) | 13 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 260 | 189 | 71 | 2 | 1 | 41 |
4 | Hawke's Bay | 13 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 372 | 256 | 116 | 6 | 1 | 41 |
5 | Auckland | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 272 | 223 | 49 | 3 | 4 | 39 |
6 | Waikato | 13 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 285 | 297 | −12 | 4 | 0 | 36 |
7 | Bay of Plenty | 13 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 268 | 267 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 32 |
8 | Taranaki | 13 | 6 | 1 | 6 | 252 | 251 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 28 |
9 | Tasman | 13 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 243 | 260 | −17 | 2 | 2 | 28 |
10 | Otago | 13 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 260 | 283 | −23 | 2 | 5 | 27 |
11 | Manawatu | 13 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 305 | 362 | −57 | 3 | 5 | 24 |
12 | North Harbour | 13 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 244 | 320 | −76 | 0 | 4 | 20 |
13 | Northland | 13 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 226 | 341 | −115 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
14 | Counties Manukau | 13 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 235 | 436 | −201 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
- In the event 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 event of a three-team or more tie on points the rankings 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.[6]
Results grid
editAuck | BoP | Cant | CM | HB | Mana | NorH | North | Otago | South | Tara | Tas | Wai | Wgtn | |
Auckland | 29–14 | 16–22 | 37–14 | 13–47 | 23–20 | 14–16 | 32–13 | 22–18 | 27–13 | 10–0 | 8–12 | 26–18 | 15–16 | |
Bay of Plenty | 14–29 | 19–17 | 32–9 | 19–22 | 28–27 | 7–28 | 19–14 | 17–26 | 12–19 | 24–30 | 24–13 | 32–16 | 21–17 | |
Canterbury | 22–16 | 17–19 | 28–17 | 27–20 | 50–26 | 19–22 | 31–21 | 36–16 | 3–9 | 29–17 | 25–21 | 46–13 | 36–14 | |
Counties Manukau | 14–37 | 9–32 | 17–28 | 8–54 | 31–36 | 19–28 | 37–21 | 19–22 | 6–14 | 33–21 | 15–51 | 8–30 | 19–62 | |
Hawke's Bay | 47–13 | 22–19 | 20–27 | 54–8 | 35–30 | 34–17 | 32–13 | 32–10 | 9–18 | 24–24 | 28–26 | 22–30 | 13–21 | |
Manawatu | 20–23 | 27–28 | 26–50 | 36–31 | 30–35 | 42–16 | 18–25 | 19–12 | 25–23 | 10–12 | 15–34 | 22–30 | 15–43 | |
North Harbour | 16–14 | 28–7 | 22–19 | 28–19 | 17–34 | 16–42 | 23–26 | 9–29 | 22–24 | 13–17 | 15–19 | 22–33 | 13–37 | |
Northland | 13–32 | 14–19 | 21–31 | 21–37 | 13–32 | 25–18 | 26–23 | 7–29 | 15–15 | 29–16 | 16–21 | 19–27 | 7–41 | |
Otago | 18–22 | 26–17 | 16–36 | 22–19 | 10–32 | 12–19 | 29–9 | 29–7 | 19–26 | 10–38 | 21–0 | 29–35 | 19–23 | |
Southland | 13–27 | 19–12 | 9–3 | 14–6 | 18–9 | 23–25 | 24–22 | 15–15 | 26–19 | 29–13 | 41–0 | 16–6 | 13–32 | |
Taranaki | 0–10 | 30–24 | 17–29 | 21–33 | 24–24 | 12–10 | 17–13 | 16–29 | 38–10 | 13–29 | 21–9 | 14–15 | 29–16 | |
Tasman | 12–8 | 13–24 | 21–25 | 51–15 | 26–28 | 34–15 | 19–15 | 21–16 | 0–21 | 0–41 | 9–21 | 23–9 | 14–22 | |
Waikato | 18–26 | 16–32 | 13–46 | 30–8 | 30–22 | 30–22 | 33–22 | 27–19 | 35–29 | 6–16 | 15–14 | 9–23 | 23–18 | |
Wellington | 16–15 | 17–21 | 14–36 | 62–19 | 21–13 | 43–15 | 37–13 | 41–7 | 23–19 | 32–13 | 16–29 | 22–14 | 18–23 |
Home game | Away game |
Statistics
editTeam
editThe lists of how many tries and points each team has scored in the 2009 Air NZ Cup Round Robin.
Hawke's Bay scored the most points this season with 372 points while Southland had the best defensive record with 189 points scored against them.[7] Hawke's Bay also scored, along with Canterbury and Wellington, the most tries this season with 40. Southland gave up the fewest tries as well of points with only 15 tries scored against them.[7]
Points
editThe table shows how many points were scored by each team (white) and how many points each team was scored against them (grey) in the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup. Hawke's Bay scored the most points this season with 372 points with an average of 28.6 points per game while Southland had the best defensive record with 189 points scored against them at an average of 14.5 points per game.[7]
Team | Points by round | Total | AVG | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||
Auckland | 13 | 47 | 16 | 22 | 32 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 29 | 14 | 22 | 18 | 23 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 27 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 37 | 14 | 26 | 18 | 272 | 223 | 20.9 | 17.2 |
Bay of Plenty | 19 | 14 | 32 | 9 | 21 | 17 | 32 | 16 | 14 | 29 | 19 | 17 | 12 | 19 | 24 | 13 | 17 | 26 | 19 | 22 | 7 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 24 | 30 | 268 | 267 | 20.6 | 20.5 |
Canterbury | 19 | 22 | 22 | 16 | 46 | 13 | 25 | 21 | 36 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 36 | 16 | 29 | 17 | 31 | 21 | 28 | 17 | 50 | 26 | 27 | 20 | 3 | 9 | 369 | 231 | 28.4 | 17.8 |
Counties Manukau | 31 | 36 | 9 | 32 | 15 | 51 | 33 | 21 | 8 | 30 | 19 | 62 | 37 | 21 | 6 | 14 | 19 | 28 | 17 | 28 | 8 | 54 | 14 | 37 | 19 | 22 | 235 | 436 | 18.1 | 33.5 |
Hawke's Bay | 47 | 13 | 13 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 9 | 18 | 28 | 26 | 22 | 30 | 34 | 17 | 32 | 10 | 35 | 30 | 22 | 19 | 54 | 8 | 20 | 27 | 32 | 13 | 372 | 283 | 28.6 | 21.8 |
Manawatu | 36 | 31 | 22 | 30 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 34 | 20 | 23 | 18 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 15 | 43 | 26 | 50 | 27 | 28 | 42 | 16 | 305 | 362 | 23.5 | 27.8 |
North Harbour | 22 | 19 | 15 | 19 | 9 | 29 | 23 | 26 | 22 | 24 | 13 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 16 | 14 | 28 | 19 | 22 | 33 | 28 | 7 | 13 | 37 | 16 | 42 | 244 | 320 | 18.8 | 24.6 |
Northland | 14 | 19 | 29 | 16 | 13 | 32 | 26 | 23 | 7 | 29 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 37 | 25 | 18 | 21 | 31 | 16 | 21 | 7 | 41 | 19 | 27 | 13 | 32 | 226 | 341 | 17.4 | 26.2 |
Otago | 19 | 23 | 19 | 26 | 29 | 9 | 12 | 19 | 29 | 7 | 18 | 22 | 16 | 36 | 10 | 32 | 26 | 17 | 10 | 38 | 29 | 35 | 21 | 0 | 22 | 19 | 260 | 283 | 20 | 21.8 |
Southland | 16 | 6 | 26 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 18 | 9 | 24 | 22 | 15 | 15 | 19 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 13 | 32 | 13 | 27 | 41 | 0 | 29 | 13 | 9 | 3 | 260 | 189 | 20 | 14.5 |
Taranaki | 21 | 9 | 16 | 29 | 24 | 24 | 21 | 33 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 13 | 29 | 16 | 17 | 29 | 14 | 15 | 38 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 29 | 30 | 24 | 252 | 251 | 19.4 | 19.3 |
Tasman | 9 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 51 | 15 | 21 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 34 | 15 | 23 | 9 | 13 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 21 | 16 | 0 | 41 | 0 | 21 | 14 | 22 | 243 | 260 | 18.7 | 20 |
Waikato | 6 | 16 | 30 | 22 | 13 | 46 | 16 | 32 | 30 | 8 | 30 | 22 | 9 | 23 | 23 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 33 | 22 | 35 | 29 | 27 | 19 | 18 | 26 | 285 | 297 | 21.9 | 22.8 |
Wellington | 23 | 19 | 21 | 13 | 17 | 21 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 36 | 62 | 19 | 16 | 29 | 18 | 23 | 32 | 13 | 43 | 15 | 41 | 7 | 37 | 13 | 22 | 14 | 362 | 237 | 27.8 | 18.2 |
For | Against |
Tries
editCanterbury, Hawke's Bay and Wellington all scored the most tries during the round robin with 40 each. North Harbour, Northland and Taranaki all scored the fewest tries with only 20 tries each.[7] Southland gave up the fewest tries with 15 while Counties Manukau gave up the most with 48.[7]
Team | Total | Tries by round | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||
Auckland | 29 | 22 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Bay of Plenty | 24 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Canterbury | 40 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Counties Manukau | 30 | 48 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Hawke's Bay | 40 | 25 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Manawatu | 35 | 47 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
North Harbour | 20 | 37 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
Northland | 20 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 |
Otago | 23 | 33 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Southland | 28 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Taranaki | 20 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Tasman | 26 | 27 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Waikato | 28 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Wellington | 40 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
For | Against |
Disciplinary cards
editBay of Plenty were issued the most yellow cards with five while North Harbour were issued the only red card of the season.
Team | Total | Cards by round | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | |||
Auckland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Bay of Plenty | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Canterbury | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Counties Manukau | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hawke's Bay | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Manawatu | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
North Harbour | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Northland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Otago | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Southland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Taranaki | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Tasman | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Waikato | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Wellington | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player
editA total of 3,953 points were scored, including 406 tries, with a total of 218 players scoring points.
Top 10 points scorers
editMatt Berquist scored the most with 156 points and an average of 14.2 points per game.[7]
Player | Team | Total | Avg | Points per round | Details | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | |||||
Matt Berquist | Hawke's Bay | 156 | 14.2 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 13 | DNP | DNP | 12 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 34 pen; 2 dg; 24 con |
Mike Delany | Bay of Plenty | 149 | 12.4 | 14 | 17 | 11 | 22 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 19 | 2 | 13 | DNP | 1 try; 38 pen; 15 con |
Lachlan Munro | Northland | 146 | 11.2 | 9 | 24 | 8 | 21 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 4 try; 32 pen; 15 con |
Callum Bruce | Waikato | 125 | 9.6 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 18 | 15 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 try; 30 pen; 15 con |
Willie Ripia | Taranaki | 115 | 10.5 | 11 | DNP | DNP | 9 | 9 | 5 | 19 | 12 | 9 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 15 | 1 try; 29 pen; 1 dg; 10 con |
Robbie Robinson | Southland | 111 | 10.1 | 11 | 16 | 8 | 6 | DNP | DNP | 14 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 9 | 29 pen; 12 con |
Michael Harris | North Harbour | 108 | 10.8 | 17 | 15 | 0 | 13 | DNP | DNP | DNP | 11 | 13 | 7 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 28 pen; 12 con |
Andrew Goodman | Tasman | 106 | 8.4 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 try; 19 pen; 1 dg; 18 con |
Daniel Carter | Canterbury | 98 | 16.3 | 14 | 22 | 19 | DNP | 21 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | 5 | 17 | DNP | 3 try; 21 pen; 10 con |
Daniel Kirkpatrick | Wellington | 95 | 8.6 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 11 | 18 | 12 | 4 | 12 | DNP | DNP | 1 try; 20 pen; 15 con |
Top try scorers
editZac Guildford scored the most tries during the season with 13.[7]
Player | Team | Total | Tries by round | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | |||
Zac Guildford | Hawke's Bay | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | DNP |
Hosea Gear | Wellington | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | DNP | DNP | DNP | DNP | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Sean Maitland | Canterbury | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ben Smith | Otago | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | DNP |
Jared Payne | Northland | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Jason Hona | Bay of Plenty | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Jason Shoemark | Hawke's Bay | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Sona Taumalolo | Hawke's Bay | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Sosene Anesi | Waikato | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Many | 4 | Various |
Finals
editThe 2009 Air New Zealand Cup Finals contained two semifinals that were played on 30 and 31 October while the grand final was played on 7 November. Canterbury were crowned champions after beating Wellington 28–20 in the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup Final.
Semifinals | Final | |||||
30 October – Christchurch | ||||||
Canterbury | 20 | |||||
7 November – Christchurch | ||||||
Hawke's Bay | 3 | |||||
Canterbury | 28 | |||||
31 October – Wellington | ||||||
Wellington | 20 | |||||
Wellington | 34 | |||||
Southland | 21 | |||||
Semifinals
editAfter the top four teams were determined from the round robin the semifinals were played on 30 and 31 October.
Canterbury beat Hawke's Bay 20–3 in the first semifinal on 30 October.[8] Canterbury had their best defensive performance of the season (points wise) against Hawke's Bay which was subsequently their worst offensive performance of the season. Canterbury gained their second final berth in a row and their first home final since 2001 while Hawke's Bay were knocked out of the competition from the semifinals in the third year in a row.
Wellington beat Southland 34–21 in the second semi.[9] Wellington were leading 19–7 at halftime but Southland made comeback early in the second scoring two converted tries in the first ten minutes. Wellington recovered though with two second half tries to replacement Dane Coles and a fifth penalty by Piri Weepu gave Wellington the win and a fourth straight place in the final. Southland were knocked out for the second time in a row by Wellington in the semifinals.
Final
editThe 2009 Air New Zealand Cup Final was played on 7 November at Lancaster Park in Christchurch between Canterbury and Wellington. It was Wellington's eighth final in eleven years while Canterbury were playing their first home final since 2001.[10] Canterbury scored 2 tries in the first half, both coming to Colin Slade, in the 2nd and 35th minute and went into halftime with an 18–3 lead. Wellington came back in the second, reducing the deficit to 5 in the final 5 minutes but a late penalty goal by Stephen Brett in the 78th minute gained Canterbury back-to-back titles for the first time in the 33-year history of the competition, winning 28–20. Wellington, however, have now lost the final for the fourth time in a row, losing all previous Air New Zealand Cup finals.[2]
Ranfurly Shield
editThe Ranfurly Shield went through 10 challenges this season and changed hands twice, from Wellington to Canterbury in round 5, then from Canterbury to Southland in the last round of the round robin.
Wellington held off Wairarapa Bush 90–19 in a convincing first up match and 61–6 game against Wanganui.[11][12] Wellington beat Otago 23–19 on 31 July in a match at Wellington Regional Stadium, and then Auckland 16–15 on 22 August.[13][14] Wellington lost the shield the next week though losing to Canterbury 36–14.[15]
Canterbury won their first challenge against Otago on 12 September, when they won 36 points to 16.[16] They won their next challenge 29–17 against Taranaki on 18 September.[17] Their next challenge was against Northland on 26 September, which they won 31 points to 21.[18] They successfully defended the shield for the fourth time against Manawatu winning 50–26.[19] In their fifth and final challenge of the season, Canterbury lost the Ranfurly Shield to Southland on 22 October 9 points to 3.[20] Southland will not have their first challenge until next season.
Fixtures
editDate | Holder | Score | Challenger | Venue | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 July | Wellington | 90–19 | Wairarapa Bush | Memorial Park, Masterton | 5,000 |
9 July | Wellington | 61–6 | Wanganui | Cook's Garden, Wanganui | unknown |
31 July | Wellington | 23–19 | Otago | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 11,261 |
22 August | Wellington | 16–15 | Auckland | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 13,466 |
29 August | Wellington | 14–36 | Canterbury | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 18,511 |
12 September | Canterbury | 36–16 | Otago | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | 16,500 |
18 September | Canterbury | 29–17 | Taranaki | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | 8,800 |
26 September | Canterbury | 31–21 | Northland | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | unknown |
9 October | Canterbury | 50–26 | Manawatu | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | unknown |
22 October | Canterbury | 3–9 | Southland | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | 10,500 |
Season highlights
editProvincial rugby reconstruction
editThe 2009 season may well be the last Air New Zealand Cup[1], by name and format, as the New Zealand Rugby Union has restructured the domestic competition with three divisions involved: a premier division competition with 10 teams, a Heartland Championship competition, also with 10 teams, and a new first division with the remaining 6 teams. This means that four teams in this year's competition will be relegated into the new first division whilst two Heartland teams will be promoted to join them.[21] This has since become questioned with "serious doubts being raised about the ability of two Heartland provinces to join the proposed "second-tier" competition for 2010." Nothing has been confirmed but this, allied to concerns about that competition being "meaningful", will almost certainly see a stay of execution for the 14-team Air New Zealand Cup through to 2011.[3]
Tasman's inclusion
editThe Tasman Rugby Union was in doubt for inclusion 2009 Air New Zealand Cup, stating financial problems as the cause of their potential downfall. But in December 2008, the New Zealand Rugby Union confirmed that they were able to compete in the 2009 competition after new funding arrangements were put in place for Tasman in 2009.[22]
Bay of Plenty coaching changes
editThe Bay of Plenty Rugby Union terminated head coach Greg Smith's contract by mutual agreement in August, two weeks into the competition. Technical adviser Sean Horan took his place for the remainder of the season as Steve Miln remained assistant coach. Smith was appointed as Kevin Schuler's successor in March this year, but stood down before the Air NZ Cup competition began on 30 July amid claims of a player revolt and a breakdown with management. A statement released by the Bay of Plenty rugby Union said the termination of Smith's contract was due to "breakdown in certain aspects of the relationship".[23]
Hawke's Bay 125th anniversary
editIn 2009, the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union celebrated their 125th anniversary.[24] First founded in 1884 the Hawke's Bay Rugby Union became only the sixth team to celebrate 125 years in New Zealand Rugby.[25]
Rugby in Hawke's Bay began in 1875 when the Napier Football Club changed and adopted rugby rules. By 1878 Napier, calling itself Hawke's Bay arranged matches with Gisborne on a regular basis. The Hawke's Bay union was formed at a meeting of delegates of four clubs inside the region: Napier, Union, Hastings, and Petane. Hawke's Bay were one of the founding members of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1982, and their administrators, Ernest Hoben, became the first secretary and Logan, became a member of the inaugural three-man appeal committee who also served as the first New Zealand selectors.[26]
Hawke's Bay have contributed 48 players to the New Zealand national team throughout their history including George Nēpia, Maurice and Cyril Brownlie, Kel Tremain and Norm Hewitt.
Hawke's Bay was also part of a period during New Zealand Rugby history which came to be known as 'shield fever'. The revival of the Ranfurly Shield's interest was helped by Hawke's Bay's tenure between 1922 and 1927 under head coach Norman McKenzie. They also had another lengthy period from 1967 to 1969 under Colin Le Quesne.[26]
Hawke's Bay have won the National Provincial Championship 2nd division 7 times: in 1979, 1988, 1990, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004; and since being promoted up to the Air New Zealand Cup in 2006, have been semifinalists in 2007, 2008, and 2009.[27]
Canterbury win the Ranfurly Shield
editFor more information click here.
Canterbury won the Ranfurly Shield off Wellington on 29 August. They won 36–14 in a one-sided affair in which Wellington only scored in the last ten minutes.[15] It was the first time they won the shield since 2007 and the 13th time they have won the shield overall.[28]
Canterbury were leading 26–0 at halftime thanks to tries by George Whitelock and Tim Bateman as well as 2 conversions and 4 penalty goals from Daniel Carter. Canterbury increased their lead to 36 with 15 minutes left while two late tries by Wellington was only a consolation as the challengers cut the holders shield tenure to 6.
Southland win the Ranfurly Shield
editFor more information click here.
Southland won the Ranfurly Shield off Canterbury when they beat them 9 points to 3 on 22 October. It was the first time they have won the 'shield' since 1959, 50 years from tenures.[20]
Defense was evident during the game with the only scoring coming from a dropkick by Stephen Brett for Canterbury and 3 penalty goals by Robbie Robinson for Southland. At 3–3 after the halftime break Robinson kicked his second penalty goal 7 minutes in and secured the game with another in the 71st minute of play.
Kerikeri
editKerikeri hosted its first ever provincial rugby match on 16 August at the Kerikeri Domain when the home team, Northland, lost 32 to 13 to Auckland in front of 6,000 people.[29][30] It was also the first time Northland have played a home game inside the province outside of Whangārei.[31]
New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew said the shift was agreed to given the redevelopment work taking place at Whangārei's Okara Park ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.[31]
Truck and trailer units were used as corporate boxes, a marquee was set up to feed 200 people and a temporary stand was put up that could seat 3000 people. More than 6000 tickets were pre sold and a crowd of 7000 was expected.[30]
Taranaki coach quits
editTaranaki coach Adrian Kennedy quit on 11 November saying the province is too parochial and closed to new ideas.[32] He was the first outsider to coach the team and finished eighth in both his seasons in charge, his winning percentage was below 50%. His tenure was also plagued by bad off-field behaviour from players. Five players were stood down this season after an all-night public drinking binge.[33]
Milestones
editThe list of milestones of players and teams who celebrated a significant moment during the 2009 season.
Firsts
editThe moments in the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup where it happened for the first time.
Hawke's Bay beat Auckland
editOn 1 August the Hawke's Bay Magpies beat Auckland 47–13, this was their first Air New Zealand/NPC win over them and their first win over the Aucklanders since 1974.[34]
Hawke's Bay scored their first of five tries after 25 minutes of play which went wing Zac Guildford who ran down the left-hand touchline after a midfield turnover. After a try just before halftime by flanker Karl Lowe, Hawke's Bay scored three more tries in the second while Auckland couldn't add onto their 13 points scored in the first. 22 points from the boot of first five-eighth Matt Berquist along with five tries gave Hawke's Bay their first win over Auckland in 35 years.
Tasman beat North Harbour
editTasman beat North Harbour 19–15 on 7 August, it was the first time in Tasman's short history that they have beaten North Harbour.[35] North Harbour were Tasman's first ever Air New Zealand Cup opponent back in 2006 which North Harbour won 33–27 in Blenheim.
North Harbour's points all came from the boot of first five Mike Harris with 5 penalty goals while Tasman were able to score two tries and two penalties to win their first game of the season.[36]
Tasman beat Auckland
editAuckland went down to Tasman, 12–8, for the first time in their two previous meetings.[37] The first time they met Auckland won 46–6.[38]
Tasman gained the halftime lead with a try and conversion from Andrew Goodman while Auckland could only score a penalty goal by Ash Moeke. Soon after the break Tasman scored their second try when Blair Cook took advantage of a blindside which Auckland failed to cover. Tasman were out 12–3 with five minutes before winger Atieli Pakalani made a break through the Tasman defense then passed to hooker Pat Leafa to score the try. The conversion was missed and Tasman held on to win 12 points to 8 with their best defensive performance of the season.
Tasman vs Counties Manukau
editWhen Tasman and Counties Manukau played each other on 16 August, it was the first time these two teams have faced off in Tasman's 4-year history.[39]
Tasman scored 51 points to Counties Manukau 15 including 6 tries. Both Blair Cook and James Kamana of Tasman scored two tries each while Andrew Goodman converted five of those as well as kicking three penalty goals. Sione Halani and Kade Poki scored the other tries while Matty James kicked a conversion. Counties Manukau only managed two tries to Mark Selwyn and Sherwin Stowers as well as one conversion and penalty goal.[40]
Taranaki beat Wellington
editWhen Taranaki beat Wellington 29 points to 16, it was the first time they have beaten them in a NPC or Air New Zealand Cup match since 1989.[41]
Taranaki outscored Wellington two tries to one as they ended their 20-year losing streak to their Hurricanes partners. Willie Ripia scored 19 points of the boot by converting both tries and kicking five penalty goals. Daniel Kirkpatrick kicked the remaining 11 points for Wellington but it was not enough to win.[42]
Player
editList of significant moments by players in the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup.
David Holwell's 100th game
editDavid Holwell, of Northland, celebrated his 100th game for the province on 11 October. However the team could not pull off the upset against his old province Wellington.[43]
Holwell became Northland's 22nd centurion since their formation in 1920. He debuted for Northland in 1995 as 20-year-old against North Harbour. Before his hundredth game Holwell had played 254 first class games where he scored 2181 points including 36 tries, 450 conversion, 365 penalty goals and 2 drop goals.[43]
Hosea Gear vs. Counties Manukau
editWhen Wellington beat Counties Manukau on 4 September, winger Hosea Gear equaled the record for most tries by a player in an Air New Zealand Cup game with 4, 3 of them in the first 30 minutes.[44][45] He now holds the record with Peter Playford from Tasman who scored four tries against Northland in 2006.[44] The overall New Zealand provincial rugby record is five on six occasions.[44]
Fa'atonu Fili, drop goal record
editWhen Wellington beat Auckland 16–15, fly-half Fa'atonu Fili kicked his third drop goal of the season, an Air New Zealand Cup record.[44] He also made his team the holder of most drop goals in a season by a team in the Air New Zealand Cup overtaking Southland in 2007 and Counties Manukau and Hawke's Bay, both in 2008.[44] The overall New Zealand provincial rugby record is 4 by Ron Preston from Bay of Plenty against Waikato in 1985.[44]
Andre Taylor vs North Harbour
editManawatu's Andre Taylor equaled the record for most points scored in an Air New Zealand Cup match with 27.[44] He scored 2 tries and was given kicking duties where he scored 4 conversions, 2 penalty goals and 1 drop goal.[46] He now shares the record with Jimmy Gopperth from North Harbour who scored 27 points against Counties Manukau in 2008.[44] The overall New Zealand provincial rugby record is held by Ben Blair from Canterbury when he scored 37 points against Counties Manukau in 1999.[44]
Player suspensions
editIn total, there were eight player suspensions throughout the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup with only three of them being cleared of any suspension. The largest ban went to Kurt Baker, who was suspended for eight weeks for abusing and threatening a referee.
Player | Team | Date | Offence | Penalty | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Paul Williams | Auckland | 8 August | Dangerous play | 1 week ban | ||
Winston Stanley | Auckland | 8 August | Foul play | cleared | ||
Jordan Smiler | Waikato | 14 August | Dangerous tackle | 1 week ban | ||
Kahn Fotuali'i | Tasman | 28 August | Dangerous charge | cleared | ||
Andrew Mailei | North Harbour | 25 September | Dangerous tackle | 2 week ban | ||
Kurt Baker | Manawatu | 16 September | Referee abuse | 8 week ban | ||
Luke Braid | Bay of Plenty | 26 September | Dangerous tackle | 2 week ban | ||
Joe Wheeler | Tasman | 17 October | Stamping | cleared | ||
References:[47][48][49][50][51][52] |
Pre-season fixtures
edit2009 pre-season games including two Ranfurly Shield matches for Wellington against Wairarapa Bush and Wanganui.[53]
Date | Home | Score | Away | Venue |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 July | North Otago | 3–79 | Otago | Centennial Park, Oamaru |
2 July | Wairarapa Bush | 19–90 | Wellington (RS) | Memorial Park, Masterton |
3 July | Manawatu | 13–22 | Taranaki | FMG Stadium, Palmerston North |
8 July | North Harbour | 16–13 | Waikato | Moire Park, Massey |
8 July | North Otago | 18–50 | Southland | Centennial Park, Oamaru |
9 July | Wanganui | 6–61 | Wellington (RS) | Cook's Garden, Wanganui |
10 July | Hawke's Bay | 35–13 | Manawatu | McLean Park, Napier |
10 July | Taranaki | 26–18 | Bay of Plenty | Yarrow Stadium, Taranaki |
11 July | Mid Canterbury | 0–85 | Otago | Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton |
11 July | Counties Manukau | 0–14 | Auckland | Growers Stadium, Pukekohe |
15 July | Northland | 7–10 | North Harbour | Lindvart Park, Kaikohe |
17 July | Taranaki | 28–30 | Hawke's Bay | TET Stadium, Inglewood |
17 July | Auckland | 17–12 | Waikato | Douglas Field, Waitakere |
17 July | Manawatu | 38–19 | Wellington | FMG Stadium, Palmerston North |
17 July | Bay of Plenty | 28–19 | Counties Manukau | Rugby Park, Whakatane |
17 July | Southland | 19–7 | Canterbury | Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill |
18 July | Tasman | 32–33 | Otago | Trafalgar Park, Nelson |
23 July | North Harbour | 6–17 | Auckland | North Harbour Stadium Outer Oval, North Shore |
24 July | Wellington | 31–24 | Canterbury | Porirua Park, Wellington |
24 July | Waikato | 28–24 | Taranaki | Waikato Stadium, Waikato |
24 July | Counties Manukau | 3–10 | Northland | Growers Stadium, Pukekohe |
24 July | Southland | 19–14 | Otago | Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill |
24 July | Bay of Plenty | 7–35 | Hawke's Bay | Tauranga Domain, Tauranga |
Stadiums
editTeam | Stadium | Location | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
Auckland | Eden Park | Kingsland | 45,4721 |
Bay of Plenty | Bay Park Stadium | Mount Maunganui | 19,800 |
Rotorua International Stadium | Rotorua | 34,000 | |
Canterbury | Lancaster Park | Christchurch | 36,0001 |
Counties Manukau | Growers Stadium | Pukekohe | 18,000 |
Hawke's Bay | McLean Park | Napier | 22,000 |
Manawatu | FMG Stadium | Palmerston North | 18,000 |
North Harbour | North Harbour Stadium | Albany | 25,000 |
Northland | Okara Park | Whangārei | 25,000 |
Kerikeri Domain | Kerikeri | 6,5002 | |
Otago | Carisbrook | Dunedin | 29,000 |
Southland | Rugby Park Stadium | Invercargill | 17,000 |
Taranaki | Yarrow Stadium | New Plymouth | 25,000 |
Tasman | Lansdowne Park | Blenheim | 15,000 |
Trafalagar Park | Nelson | 20,080 | |
Waikato | Waikato Stadium | Hamilton | 25,800 |
Wellington | Wellington Regional Stadium | Wellington | 34,500 |
1Construction being applied
2Estimate
Referees
editThe list of referees who have officiated in the 2009 Air New Zealand Cup. Garratt Williamson has refereed the most games this season with 12. Nathan Pearce officiated the Hawke's Bay, Taranaki game on 15 August, he was the first referee from outside the country to referee an Air New Zealand Cup match, he was followed by fellow Australian Andrew Lees on 11 September and Englishman Wayne Barnes on 24 September.[54][55][56]
Referee | Union of governance | No. of games officiated |
---|---|---|
Garratt Williamson | Wellington Rugby Football Union | 12 |
Vinny Munro | Canterbury Rugby Football Union | 10 |
Keith Brown | Southland Rugby Football Union | 9 |
Josh Noonan | Canterbury Rugby Football Union | 8 |
Jonathan White | Auckland Rugby Football Union | 8 |
Chris Pollock | Wellington Rugby Football Union | 7 |
Kane McBride | Canterbury Rugby Football Union | 7 |
Mike Fraser | Wellington Rugby Football Union | 5 |
Glenn Newman | North Harbour Rugby Union | 4 |
Ben Skeen | Auckland Rugby Football Union | 4 |
Matthew Stanish | Auckland Rugby Football Union | 4 |
Bryce Lawrence | Bay of Plenty Rugby Union | 4 |
James McPhail | Canterbury Rugby Football Union | 3 |
Shane McDermott | Bay of Plenty Rugby Union | 2 |
Nathan Pearce | Australian Rugby Union | 2 |
Andrew Lees | Australian Rugby Union | 2 |
Wayne Barnes | Rugby Football Union | 1 |
Chris Morrison | Taranaki Rugby Football Union | 1[57] |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Air New Zealand Cup schedule for 2009 released" Archived 22 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 19 February 2009. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
- ^ a b "Canterbury makes it two in a row" Archived 8 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 7 November 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^ a b Cleaver, Dylan. "14-team NPC likely for 2010", The New Zealand Herald, 7 November 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^ Knowler, Richard. "Money matters top of agenda", The Press, 20 November 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
- ^ Johnstone, Duncan. "NZRU decides against provincial rugby changes", stuff.co.nz, 11 December 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
- ^ a b "2009 Domestic Competitions Regulations" Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, New Zealand Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g "2009 Air New Zealand Cup statistics"[permanent dead link ], itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^ Leggat, David. "Rugby: Canterbury's red and black wall", The New Zealand Herald, 21 October 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Wellington end Southland's Cinderella year". Stuff. New Zealand. 31 October 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "NPC Results 1976–2006" Archived 7 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine, The Silver Fern, 12 May 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
- ^ Worthington, Sam (2 July 2009). "Ranfurly Shield: Lions' record try haul". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Wellington keep Shield in safe keeping". Television New Zealand. 9 July 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Shaky Wellington hang on to shield". 3 News. 31 July 2009. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Vodafone Wellington Lions v Auckland match report" Archived 24 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Wellington Lions. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ a b "Canterbury crush Wellington to win Ranfurly Shield". The Press. 29 August 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Canterbury beat Otago in first defence of new Ranfurly Shield run". Radio New Zealand. 12 September 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ Bidwell, Hamish. "Patchy Canty dismiss Taranaki", The Press, 19 September 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Canterbury survive fright from Taniwha" Archived 27 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Canterbury Rugby Football Union, 26 September 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Canterbury retain Shield in style". Television New Zealand. 9 October 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Southland end 50 years without Shield". Stuff. New Zealand. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Domestic competitions framework to change"[permanent dead link ], allblacks.com, 29 May 2009. Retrieved 1 November 2009.
- ^ "NZRU confirms Tasman in Air NZ Cup". Stuff. New Zealand. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "New coach appointed to BOP" Archived 13 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 12 August 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- ^ "Hawke's Bay celebrate special night – just". Stuff. New Zealand. 26 September 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Member Unions", New Zealand Rugby Union. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ a b "Hawke's Bay – Our History" Archived 26 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Hawke's Bay Rugby Union. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
- ^ "Past NPC Champions" Archived 8 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine, The Silver Fern, 14 June 2005. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
- ^ "Ranfurly Shield History" Archived 3 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Canterbury Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ Lewis, Paul. "Auckland's class players prove vital", The New Zealand Herald, 16 August 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
- ^ a b Leggat, David."Kerikeri ready for its big day", The New Zealand Herald, 15 August 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
- ^ a b "Kerikeri to host Air New Zealand Cup match" Archived 11 August 2009 at archive.today, allblacks.com, 5 June 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Taranaki coach Kennedy quits" Archived 21 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 12 November 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
- ^ "Drunken Taranaki players stood down". Television New Zealand. 1 October 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Auckland put to the sword by Hawke's Bay". Television New Zealand. 1 August 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Air NZ Cup Preview: North Harbour vs. Tasman" Archived 15 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 5 August 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Tasman stuns North Harbour"[permanent dead link ], allblacks.com, 7 August 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
- ^ "David overcomes Goliath as Tasman beat Auckland". Stuff. New Zealand. 27 September 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Auckland and Canterbury show the way", nzcity.co.nz, 7 August 2006. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
- ^ "Air NZ Cup Preview: North Harbour vs. Tasman" Archived 15 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 14 August 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Tasman dominate in wet" Archived 19 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 16 August 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ "Taranaki trounce Wellington" Archived 14 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine, keo.co.za, 10 September 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Taranaki breaks its Wellington hoodoo" Archived 20 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 10 September 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ a b "David Holwell hits the ton for Northland". The Dominion Post. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "The Records", Rugby News| volume=40| issue=23, p. 35. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Wellington bounces back in style" Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 4 September 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2009.
- ^ "Turbos finish strongly" Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 24 October 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2009.
- ^ "Stanley and Williams judicial hearings completed"[permanent dead link ], allblacks.com, 13 August 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- ^ "Rugby: Waikato flanker suspended". The New Zealand Herald. 18 August 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Judicial finding – Kahn Fotuali'i"[permanent dead link ], allblacks.com, 2 September 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- ^ "Judicial Findings – Andrew Mailei and Luke Braid"[permanent dead link ], allblacks.com, 29 September 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- ^ "Rugby: Trio banned for abusing match officials". The New Zealand Herald. 1 October 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
- ^ "Judicial findings – Joe Wheeler" Archived 23 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 22 October 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
- ^ Mortimer, James. "2009 Air New Zealand Cup completes pre season"[permanent dead link ], allblacks.com, 27 July 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Air New Zealand Cup referee appointments, weeks 1 to 6" Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Rugby Referee New Zealand, 27 July 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Air New Zealand Cup referee appointments, weeks 7 to 9" Archived 18 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Rugby Referee New Zealand, 7 September 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ Remaining referee appointments can be found here, "Air New Zealand Cup Previews" Archived 13 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
- ^ "Strong Taranaki second half sinks Otago" Archived 19 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine, allblacks.com, 3 October 2009. Retrieved 3 November 2009.