Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union

Mid Canterbury

Club information
Full name| Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union
Colours| Green and Yellow
Founded| 1904
Website| www.midcanterburyrugby.co.nz
Current details
Ground(s)|

* Ashburton Showgrounds

Competition| Heartland Championship

The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union (MCRFU) is a rugby province in the South Island of New Zealand.

## History

[edit]

Main article: Ashburton County Rugby Union

The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union was formed in 1904 as Ashburton Country, first as a sub-union of the South Canterbury Rugby Football Union and then of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union. The union gained full status in 1927, and changed its name to Mid Canterbury in 1952.[1]

## Clubs

[edit]

Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union is made up of 9 clubs:

* Allenton
* Celtic
* Collegiate
* Hampstead
* Methven
* Mount Somers
* Rakaia
* Southern
* Tinwald

## Provincial representative rugby

[edit]

The Mid Canterbury team play from Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton.

### National Provincial Championship (NPC)

[edit]

In the NPC Mid Canterbury won:

* the 2nd division South Island in 1980 and 1983
* the 3rd division in 1994 and 1998.

### Heartland Championship

[edit]

In the Heartland Championship which commenced in 2006 Mid Canterbury have won:

* the Meads Cup in 2013 and 2014
* the Lochore Cup in 2017.

Heartland Championship Results[2][3][4][5]

Year | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | BP | Pts | Place | Playoffs
Qual | SF | F
2006 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 155 | 178 | −22 | 3 | 19 | 4th | Meads Cup | Lost 17–30 to Wanganui | —
2007 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 213 | 151 | +62 | 4 | 28 | 2nd | Meads Cup | Lost 0–18 to Wanganui | —
2008 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 225 | 129 | +96 | 5 | 33 | 2nd | Meads Cup | Won 38–24 against North Otago | Lost 12–27 to Wanganui
2009 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 196 | 133 | +63 | 2 | 30 | 1st | Meads Cup | Won 19–17 against South Canterbury | Lost 13–34 to Wanganui
2010 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 179 | 94 | +85 | 5 | 25 | 2nd | Meads Cup | Lost 24–40 to North Otago | —
2011 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 180 | 143 | +37 | 6 | 26 | 4th | Meads Cup | Lost 22–32 to Wanganui | —
2012 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 158 | 162 | −4 | 5 | 17 | 7th | Lochore Cup | Lost 20–48 to South Canterbury | —
2013 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 232 | 131 | +101 | 5 | 33 | 1st | Meads Cup | Won 28–25 against West Coast | Won 26–20 against North Otago
2014 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 258 | 139 | +119 | 4 | 26 | 3rd | Meads Cup | Won 29–22 against Poverty Bay | Won 36–13 against Buller
2015 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 295 | 228 | +67 | 6 | 34 | 2nd | Meads Cup | Lost 11–26 to Wanganui | —
2016 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 278 | 198 | +80 | 7 | 27 | 5th | Lochore Cup | Lost 24–36 to North Otago | —
2017 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 275 | 224 | +51 | 3 | 26 | 1st | Meads Cup | Won 56–22 against Poverty Bay | Won 47–15 against West Coast
2018 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 225 | 233 | −8 | 7 | 19 | 8th | Lochore Cup | Lost 24–34 to Horowhitu-Kapiti | —
2019 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 161 | 236 | −75 | 4 | 10 | 11th | No | —
2021 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 226 | 209 | +17 | 4 | 24 | 6th | No | —
2022 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 214 | 249 | −35 | 6 | 18 | 8th | Lochore Cup | Won 31–15 against North Otago | Lost 20–25 to Ngati Porou East Coast
2023 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 221 | 245 | −24 | 8 | 16 | 9th | No | —
2024 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 297 | 215 | +82 | 6 | 30 | 4th | Meads Cup | Won 17–16 against South Canterbury | Lost 29–37 to Thames Valley

There was no Heartland Championship in 2020 due to Covid 19 restrictions.

### Hanan Shield

[edit]

The Hanan Shield is one of the most prestigious trophy in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1946, the Hanan Shield is based on a challenge system played between North Otago, South Canterbury and Mid Canterbury.

### Ranfurly Shield

[edit]

Mid Canterbury have never held the Ranfurly Shield. Unsuccessful challenges include:

| 9 July 2014  | Counties Manukau | 46–10 | Mid Canterbury | ECOLight Stadium, Pukekohe |

|
|
|
|
|
|

| 18:00 (NZST)  | Try: Dan Hyatt (2)
Jared Page
Maama Vaipulu
John Tu'ugafasi
Toni Pulu
Andy Muirhead
Con: Jared Page (4/6)
Pen: Jared Page (1/1)  | Report | Try: Jon Sharpe
Con: Murray Williams (1/1)
Pen: Murray Williams (1)  |

| 23 July 2015  | Hawke's Bay | 57–12 |  Mid Canterbury | McLean Park, Napier |

|
|
|
|
|
|

| 19:35 (NZST)  | Try: Jonah Lowe (2)
Shannan Chase
Tony Lamborn
Brendon O'Connor
Zac Guildford
Ryan Tongia
Con: Ihaia West (5)
Pen: Tyrone Elkington-MacDonald (3)
Ihaia West | Report | Pen: Murray Williams (4)  | Referee:  Brendon Pickerill

## All Blacks

[edit]

There have been 3 players selected for the All Blacks whilst playing their club rugby in Mid Canterbury.

* Denis Cameron: All Black number 614, who played 8 games as a wing on the 1960 New Zealand rugby union tour of Australia and South Africa.[6]
* Grant Perry: All Black number 813, who played 1 game as a hooker on the 1980 tour to Fiji.[7]
* Jock Ross: All Black number 830 who played 5 games as a lock on the 1981 tour to France and Romania[8]

## Super Rugby

[edit]

Mid Canterbury along with Canterbury, Tasman, Buller, South Canterbury and West Coast make up the Crusaders Super Rugby franchise.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ McClintock, A.H., ed. (1966). "Rugby union football: history". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
2. ^ "Standings (2006–present)". Heartland Championship. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
3. ^ "Fixtures and Results (2006–present)". Heartland Championship. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
4. ^ "Finalists found in Lochore and Meads Cups". Newshub. 23 October 2010. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
5. ^ "2010 Lochore and Mead Cups finals wrap". Heartland Championship. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
6. ^ "Denis Cameron". NZ Rugby Stats.
7. ^ "Grant Perry". NZ Rugby Stats.
8. ^ "Jock Ross". NZ Rugby Stats.

## External links

[edit]

* Official Site

* v
* t
* e

Heartland Championship

Teams|

* Buller
* East Coast
* Horowhenua-Kapiti
* King Country
* Mid Canterbury
* North Otago
* Poverty Bay
* South Canterbury
* Thames Valley
* Wairarapa Bush
* Wanganui
* West Coast

Seasons|

* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

Cups|

* Meads Cup
* Lochore Cup

Predecessor|

* National Provincial Championship (1976–2005)

* v
* t
* e

Crusaders

Super Rugby Team|

* Crusaders (main article)

Mitre 10 Cup teams|

* Canterbury
* Tasman

Heartland Championship teams|

* Buller
* Mid Canterbury
* South Canterbury
* West Coast

Stadiums|

* Lancaster Park (former)
* Rugby League Park
* Canterbury Multi-Use Arena

Other|

* Matatū
* List of Crusaders players

* v
* t
* e

Rugby union in New Zealand

Governing body|

* New Zealand Rugby

National teams|

| Men's|

* New Zealand
* Sevens
* U-20
* Schoolboys
* Defunct: U-21
* U-19

|

Women's|

* New Zealand
* Sevens

Other notable teams|

* All Blacks XV
* Barbarians
* Cavaliers
* Classic All Blacks
* Heartland XV
* Māori All Blacks

Competitions|

* Super Rugby
* Super Rugby Aupiki
* National Provincial Championship
* Heartland Championship
* Meads Cup
* Lochore Cup
* Ranfurly Shield
* Hanan Shield
* New Zealand Sevens
* New Zealand Women's Sevens
* National Sevens
* Farah Palmer Cup
* National First XV Championship
* North vs South rugby union match
* The Rugby Championship

Related articles|

* International players
* International player records
* International tours and series
* New Zealand at the Rugby World Cup
* History of rugby union in New Zealand
* Structure of rugby union in New Zealand
* List of New Zealand rugby union teams
* Racism in New Zealand rugby union
* New Zealand Rugby Museum
* Oceania Rugby

Provincial unions|

| North Island|

* Auckland
* Bay of Plenty
* Counties-Manukau
* East Coast
* Hawke's Bay
* Horowhenua-Kapiti
* King Country
* Manawatu
* North Harbour
* Northland
* Poverty Bay
* Taranaki
* Thames Valley
* Waikato
* Wairarapa Bush
* Wanganui
* Wellington

|

South Island|

* Buller
* Canterbury
* Mid-Canterbury
* North Otago
* Otago
* South Canterbury
* Southland
* Tasman
* West Coast

*[Pld]: Played
*[W]: Wins
*[D]: Draws
*[L]: Losses
*[PF]: Points for
*[PA]: Points against
*[PD]: Points difference
*[BP]: Bonus points
*[Pts]: Points
*[Qual]: Playoff qualification to Meads Cup, Lochore Cup or neither
*[SF]: Semifinal
*[F]: Final
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template