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The National Provincial Championship (NPC) and Heartland Championship draws for the 2024 season have been confirmed. The NPC is set to kick-off on Friday, August 9 at 5.35pm when the defending champions Taranaki host the season opener against Counties Manukau at New Plymouth's Yarrow Stadium. The follow day, the Deep South Derby between Southland and Otago, aka 'Stag Day', also features in Round 1 at Invercargill's Rugby Park. Hawke’s Bay put the Ranfurly Shield on the line for the first time of the season against Southland in Round 2 at Napier's McLean Park (kick-off 4.35pm) and Northland have a potential Shield challenge in Round 3. All 12 Heartland teams will compete in an eight-week round robin, with the top-four teams progressing to the Meads Cup semifinals and the next four going through to the Lochore Cup semifinals. The competition kicks off on Saturday, August 17 at 2pm with a Bill Osborne Taonga challenge match between Ngati Porou East Coast and Buller at Whakarua Park in Ruatoria. A repeat of the Meads and Lochore Cup finals also headline the opening round, which sees Whanganui welcome South Canterbury to Cooks Garden (Meads) and West Coast take on Poverty Bay at Greymouth's John Sturgeon Park (Lochore) Three-time champions (2021, 2022, 2023) South Canterbury enter the season on the back of a 31-game winning streak and will welcome their fans back to their spiritual home of Fraser Park in Timaru for the first time since 2021 when they host Wairarapa-Bush in Round 2 on August 24. King Country and Thames Valley will meet under the new lights at Te Kuiti's Rugby Park in Round 3, with the fixture set to kick-off at 5.30pm.

Following the kick-off of Super Rugby Aupiki, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced the Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) draw for 2024. The premier women's provincial rugby competition is set to kick-off on Friday, August 9 at Eden Park, with a Premiership clash between defending champions Auckland and Northland, who were newly promoted to the division on the back of their 2023 Championship success. Northland will also play for the first time in Kaitaia against Canterbury in Round 5, marking a significant moment for the team and the competition. Waikato will get an opportunity to claim the JJ Stewart Memorial Trophy when they meet Canterbury in Round 2 on Sunday, August 18. Canterbury has held the challenge trophy since 2017. A local rivalry between Wellington and Manawatū will take place in Round 3, which also sees the both province's NPC teams go head-to-head. NZR head of women and girls community rugby Emily Davidson said it was impressive to see the competition go from strength-to-strength in players and fan base each year. "We are seeing a growing interest in girls and women's rugby, leading to an ongoing increase in player registrations across the country." "The Farah Palmer Cup is essential to the continued momentum and growth of women's rugby. It is an important part of the player pathway and showcases exceptional women doing what they love, all of which inspires their communities and future participation." "With a full calendar for fans, we're excited to see the support for women's provincial rugby and look forward to bringing you big game day experiences," Davidson said. The Farah Palmer Cup playoffs will see the Championship final played on the weekend of September 21-22, while the Premiership decider will take place on the weekend of October 5-6. FARAH PALMER CUP TEAMS Premiership Auckland Bay of Plenty Canterbury Counties Manukau Hawke's Bay Northland Waikato Championship Manawatu North Harbour Otago Taranaki Tasman Wellington

Wellington Olympic have won the first piece of silverware in the 2024 club football season by claiming the NZF Charity Cup. The Greeks, the NZF National League champions, defeated Chatham Cup holders Christchurch United 3-0 at Wellington's Martin Luckie Park on Sunday. The victory came courtesy of goals from captain Ben Mata (33rd minute), Hamish Watson (50th minute) and new recruit Joel Coustrain (75th minute). The win sees Wellington Olympic further stake their claim as one of the favourites for the 2024 National League Championship, which gets underway with the regional phase later this month.

The fixture list for the regional phase of the third season of New Zealand Football's National League has been finalised. The 312-match schedule for the Northern League, Central League and Southern League was released by New Zealand Football (NZF) on Friday, with the season underway in three weeks. Three-time defending Northern League champions Auckland City and Auckland United will kick-off the season on Friday, March 22 in a night-time clash at Keith Hay Park, with five matches the next day. The Southern League will begin with a full slate of night matches on Thursday, March 28, with champions Christchurch United hosting Nomads United at Christchurch Football Centre. The Central League will open on Saturday, March 30 with four matches, while Wellington Olympic will start their regional and National League title defence at Napier City Rovers the following day. City and Eastern Suburbs did not suffer a loss in the 2023 Northern League. They meet in Round 2 on March 29 and Round 13 on June 22. United and Cashmere Technical, who were neck-and-neck all season in last year's Southern League, continue their rivalry in Round 9 on June 8 and Round 18 on September 1. The Wellington Phoenix Reserves will play five midweek matches throughout the season, allowing them to play their last league match on July 14 and be involved in the club's top-flight team's preseason. The top sides from each regional league (four from the Northern League, four from the Central League and two from the Southern League) qualify for spring's National League Championship. 2024 will see select games from the National League regional phase broadcast on the FIFA+ streaming platform for the first time.

Hawke’s Bay Rugby have confirmed the two Heartland Championship unions that will challenge the Magpies for the Log o' Wood in 2024. 2023 Meads Cup winners South Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay neighbours King Country will both travel to Hawke’s Bay to challenge for the coveted Shield. King Country will head across the Napier-Taupo Road to challenge on Wednesday, June 26 at a yet undecided venue. If the Magpies are successful against the Rams, they then face South Canterbury for the second time in three years at Napier’s McLean Park on Saturday , July 27, with a family-friendly 3pm kick-off. "Challenging for the Shield is not something that every player in NZ has the opportunity to do throughout their career. Both King Country and South Canterbury performed well in their respective competitions last season and we expect very enthusiastic, tough games against both of these proud unions. "The players who earn the right to represent the Magpies in these games will be aware we will need to be at our best to ensure we earn the right to defend the shield again," said Magpies coach Brock James. The Magpies that defend the Shield for these two games will be a mixture of local club players and players who have returned from Major League Rugby (United States) and Super Rugby Pacific commitments. James confirmed there will be real competition for spots as club-based players show form over the club season as James and his selectors watch with interest during the early rounds. ‘’The team are looking forward to once again playing Hawke's Bay, like we did in 2022 where the game was very competitive. We are fully aware that the 'Hawke's Bay Maggie Pies' will be waiting for us in full force," South Canterbury Rugby CEO Tim Hyde-Smith. Should the Magpies be successful in defending the shield against the two Heartland opponents, the Magpies next defence will be against NPC opposition to be confirmed when the NPC draw is released next week. "Being Shield holders and competing for the NPC title is a real balancing act, but the coaches and leaders are excited about the challenges this brings but need to lay the platform and it all starts with King Country on June 26 and we can’t wait to rip into it," James said.