# 2022 New Zealand rugby league season

The 2022 New Zealand rugby league season was the 115th season of rugby league played in New Zealand. The main feature of the year was the National Competition, run by the New Zealand Rugby League.

## National Premiership

Select matches were broadcast live by Sky Sport.

### Teams

Four teams contested the National Premiership, all in a single division round robin followed by a final.
| Team | City/Region | Home Grounds |
| Akarana Falcons | Auckland | Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland Pulman Park, Auckland |
| Canterbury Bulls | Christchurch | Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub, Christchurch |
| Counties Manukau Stingrays | South Auckland | Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland |
| Waikato Mana | Hamilton | FMG Stadium Waikato, Hamilton |

### Results
#### Round 1

| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue |
| Akarana Falcons | 32–20 | Counties Manukau | 10 September | Pulman Park (Field 1) |
| Canterbury Bulls | 42–12 | Waikato | 11 September | Nga Puna Wai |

#### Round 2

| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue |
| Waikato | 6–68 | Akarana Falcons | 17 September | FMG Stadium Waikato |
| Canterbury Bulls | 26–18 | Counties Manukau | 18 September | Nga Puna Wai |

#### Round 3

| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue |
| Waikato | 30–38 | Counties Manukau | 24 September | FMG Stadium Waikato |
| Canterbury Bulls | 12–50 | Akarana Falcons | 25 September | Nga Puna Wai |

### Ladder

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Stage |
| Akarana Falcons (P) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 150 | 38 | +112 | 12 | Grand Final |
| Canterbury Bulls | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 80 | 80 | 0 | 10 | Grand Final |
| Counties Manukau | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 76 | 88 | -12 | 10 | |
| Waikato (R) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 48 | 148 | -100 | 10 | |
Note: (P) = Premiers, (R) = Relegated to Championship for 2023

### Final

National Competition Grand Final :
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue |
| Akarana Falcons | 46–4 | Canterbury Bulls | 1 October | North Harbour Stadium |

## National Championship

Select matches were broadcast live by Sky Sport.

### Teams

Eight teams contested the National Championship, with four in the North Island Championship pool and four in the South Island Championship pool.
| Team | City/Region | Home Grounds |
| North Island Conference |||
| Auckland Vulcans | Auckland | Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland |
| Mid-Central Vipers | New Plymouth | Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth |
| Upper Central Stallions | Tauranga & Rotorua | Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua |
| Wellington Orcas | Wellington | Jerry Collins Stadium, Porirua |
| South Island Conference |||
| Aoraki Eels | South Christchurch | Nga Puna Wai, Christchurch |
| Otago Rugby League | Dunedin | Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin |
| Southland Rams | Invercargill | Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill |
| West Coast Chargers | Greymouth | Wingham Park, Greymouth |

### Ladder
#### North Island Championship

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Stage |
| Auckland Vulcans (P) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 124 | 26 | 98 | 6 | National Championship Final |
| Upper Central Stallions | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 58 | 70 | -12 | 2 | |
| Mid-Central Vipers | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 60 | 88 | -28 | 2 | |
| Wellington Orcas | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 40 | 98 | -58 | 2 | |
Note: (P) = Promoted to Premiership for 2023

#### South Island Championship

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Stage |
| Otago Rugby League | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 60 | 69 | 6 | South Island Semi-Final |
| Southland Rams | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 94 | 104 | -10 | 4 | South Island Semi-Final |
| West Coast Chargers | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 84 | 61 | 23 | 2 | |
| Aoraki Eels | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 64 | 146 | -82 | 0 | |
Note: (P) = Promoted to Premiership for 2023

### Finals

National Championship Finals :
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue |
| Semi Final (South Island Final) |||||
| Otago Rugby League | 34–0 | Southland Rams | 24 September | Otago |
| Championship Final |||||
| Auckland Vulcans | 48–12 | Otago Rugby League | 1 October | North Harbour Stadium |

## Club Competitions
### Auckland

The 2022 season was the 115th season of the Auckland Rugby League Premiership. In the First Grade Fox Memorial Premiership, the Pt Chevalier Pirates claimed a 14 – 12 victory over the Glenora Bears in the final at Mount Smart Stadium.
In the final of the Fox Memorial Championship, the Northcote Tigers defeated the Pakuranga Jaguars 32 – 28.

### Other Competitions
## Australian Competitions

The New Zealand Warriors played in their 28th professional first grade season in the Australian National Rugby League competition.
On 3 July, during the 2022 NRL season, Auckland's Mount Smart Stadium hosted its first NRL game in over two years when the Warriors defeated the Wests Tigers 22–2 in front of a sellout crowd of 26,009 fans in round 16.
The Warriors finished 15th and missed the finals as a result.