Lochore Cup Explained

The Lochore Cup is a New Zealand rugby union trophy named after famed Wairarapa Bush and All Blacks player and coach Brian Lochore. It is contested during the Heartland Championship. It was first awarded in 2006, when the Heartland Championship format was introduced.

Competition

Regular season

At present, all 12 teams play 8 games over 8 weeks before the finals. Once finished, the teams placed 5–8 advance to the Lochore Cup finals. The top 4 teams play for the Meads Cup. Previously, a pool system was used between 2006 and 2010 to determine who played for the Cups. In 2021, due to a delay in the start of the competition caused by COVID-19, the semifinal round for both Cups was scrapped, and the Lochore Cup was instead contested between the teams that finished third and fourth respectively in the regular season.

Finals

The Lochore Cup winner is determined in four-team single-elimination tournament. The semifinal matchups are seeded 1–4 and 2–3, with the higher seed receiving home field advantage. The highest remaining seed hosts the Lochore Cup final.

Winners

YearWinnerScoreRunner-up
2006[1] Poverty Bay46–34King Country
2007[2] Poverty Bay38–35South Canterbury
2008Poverty Bay26–5Horowhenua-Kapiti
2009North Otago21–13West Coast
2010[3] Wairarapa Bush15–9Buller[4]
2011[5] Poverty Bay49–22South Canterbury[6]
2012[7] Buller[8] [9] 31–28South Canterbury
2013South Canterbury[10] 17–10Buller
2014Wanganui[11] [12] 14–12North Otago
2015[13] King Country47–34North Otago
2016[14] North Otago[15] [16] 44–22King Country
2017[17] Mid Canterbury[18] 47–15West Coast[19]
2018[20] Horowhenua-Kapiti[21] 26–23Wairarapa Bush[22]
2019[23] South Canterbury[24] [25] 23–19West Coast
2021[26] Wanganui[27] 22–16North Otago
2022[28] East Coast[29] [30] [31] 25–20Mid Canterbury
2023[32] West Coast23–20Poverty Bay

In 2020 no competition was held due to COVID-19.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Heartland 2006 - RUGBY HEARTLAND. 10 April 2014. rugbyheartland.co.nz.
  2. Web site: Heartland 2007 - RUGBY HEARTLAND. 10 April 2014. rugbyheartland.co.nz.
  3. Web site: 2010 Heartland Championship. www.globalrugbyresults.com.
  4. Web site: Year By Year, Our History ~ 2010 ~. 31 December 2010.
  5. Web site: Heartland 2011 - RUGBY HEARTLAND. 9 April 2014. rugbyheartland.co.nz.
  6. Web site: Total focus on Lochore Cup final. 7 October 2011. Stuff.
  7. Web site: Heartland 2012 - RUGBY HEARTLAND. 9 April 2014. rugbyheartland.co.nz.
  8. Web site: Buller triumph in Lochore Cup. 28 October 2012. RNZ.
  9. Web site: Minnows deny SC a taste of glory. Jacob. Page. 28 October 2012. Stuff.
  10. Web site: South Canterbury lift Lochore Cup. 27 October 2013. ESPN.com.
  11. Web site: TALKING RUGBY WITH JOHN B PHILLIPS. 28 October 2023. NZ Herald.
  12. Web site: Wanganui - 2014 Lochore Cup Champions - RUGBY HEARTLAND. 26 October 2014. rugbyheartland.co.nz.
  13. Web site: 2015 Lochore Cup Final. www.youtube.com.
  14. Web site: HIGHLIGHTS: 2016 Lochore Cup Final. www.youtube.com.
  15. Web site: North Otago claim Lochore Cup - RUGBY HEARTLAND. 29 October 2016. rugbyheartland.co.nz.
  16. Web site: Underdogs North Otago bite Rams in the Lochore Cup final. Stu. Piddington. 30 October 2016. Stuff.
  17. Web site: LOCHORE CUP HIGHLIGHTS: Mid Canterbury v West Coast. www.youtube.com.
  18. Web site: Lochore Cup final preview - RUGBY HEARTLAND. 28 October 2017. rugbyheartland.co.nz.
  19. https://westcoastrfu.com/wp/2017/10/29/2017-lochore-cup-rugby-final-report/
  20. Web site: LOCHORE CUP FINAL HIGHLIGHTS: Horowhenua-Kapiti v Wairarapa Bush. www.youtube.com.
  21. Web site: Horowhenua Kapiti claim Lochore Cup in tight finish - RUGBY HEARTLAND. 28 October 2018. rugbyheartland.co.nz.
  22. Web site: Wairarapa Bush reach LOCHORE CUP Final. 20 October 2018. waibush.co.nz.
  23. Web site: LOCHORE CUP FINAL HIGHLIGHTS: West Coast v South Canterbury - 2019. www.youtube.com.
  24. Web site: South Canterbury win Lochore Cup Final against West Coast. Mark. Medlicott. 27 October 2019. Stuff.
  25. Web site: South Canterbury claim Lochore Cup - RUGBY HEARTLAND. 27 October 2019. rugbyheartland.co.nz.
  26. Web site: HIGHLIGHTS: Whanganui v North Otago (Lochore Cup Final 2021). www.youtube.com.
  27. Web site: Heartland Rugby: Whanganui stage second-half comeback to claim Lochore Cup over North Otago. www.newshub.co.nz.
  28. Web site: Bunnings Heartland 2022 | FINAL Highlights | East Coast v Mid Canterbury. 23 October 2022. Provincial Rugby.
  29. Web site: Ngāti Porou East Coast win Lochore Cup Final - RUGBY HEARTLAND. 23 October 2022. rugbyheartland.co.nz.
  30. Web site: Ngāti Porou East Coast win Lochore Cup final. 23 October 2022. allblacks.com.
  31. Web site: Meads Cup and Lochore Cup finals: Team Lists .
  32. Web site: West Coast wins first national title. 15 October 2023. allblacks.com.