# 2014 Heartland Championship

The 2014 Heartland Championship was the ninth edition of the Heartland Championship, a rugby union competition involving the twelve amateur rugby unions in New Zealand. The tournament involved a round-robin stage in which the twelve teams played eight games each and then the top four advanced to the Meads Cup semifinals, while fifth to eighth advanced to the Lochore Cup semifinals. In both of these knockout stages the top seeds (first and fifth) played at home against the lowest seeds (fourth and eighth), the second highest seeds (second and sixth) played at home against the third highest seeds (third and seventh) and the final had the higher seed play at home against the lower seed.

## Teams

The 2014 Heartland Championship was contested by the following teams:
| Team | Super Rugby partner | Hometown | Home stadium | Capacity |
| Buller | Crusaders | Westport | Victoria Square | 5,000 |
| East Coast | Hurricanes | Ruatoria | Whakarua Park | 3,000 |
| Horowhenua-Kapiti | Hurricanes | Levin | Levin Domain | 6,500 |
| King Country | Chiefs | Taupō | Owen Delany Park | 20,000 |
| Mid Canterbury | Crusaders | Ashburton | Ashburton Showgrounds | 5,000 |
| North Otago | Highlanders | Oamaru | Whitestone Contracting Stadium | 7,000 |
| Poverty Bay | Hurricanes | Gisborne | More FM Rugby Park | 18,000 |
| South Canterbury | Crusaders | Timaru | Fraser Park | 12,000 |
| Thames Valley | Chiefs | Paeroa | Paeroa Domain | 3,000 |
| Wairarapa Bush | Hurricanes | Masterton | Trust House Memorial Park | 10,000 |
| Wanganui | Hurricanes | Wanganui | Cooks Gardens | 15,000 |
| West Coast | Crusaders | Greymouth | Rugby Park | 6,000 |

## Pre-season

Two Heartland Championship teams – Thames Valley and Mid Canterbury – challenged Counties Manukau for the Ranfurly Shield in two matches that took place in at Counties Manukau's home ground, ECOLight Stadium in Pukekohe.
* 2 July 2014 18:00 (NZST)
| Counties Manukau | 68–0 | Thames Valley |
| Try: Page (3) Vaipulu (2) Hancy Pulu Ropati Graham Penalty try Con: Page (6/10) Pen: Page (2/2) | Report | Cards: MacDonald |
* ECOLight Stadium, Pukekohe
* 9 July 2014 18:00 (NZST)
| Counties Manukau | 46–10 | Mid Canterbury |
| Try: Hyatt (2) Page Vaipulu Tu'ugafasi Pulu Muirhead Con: Page (4/6) Pen: Page (1/1) | Report | Try: Jon Sharpe Con: Williams Pen: Williams |
* ECOLight Stadium, Pukekohe

## Standings

| Pos. | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TB | LB | Pts |
| 1 | Buller | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 282 | 145 | +137 | 5 | 0 | 37 |
| 2 | Poverty Bay | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 231 | 168 | +63 | 5 | 1 | 28 |
| 3 | Mid Canterbury | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 258 | 139 | +119 | 3 | 1 | 26 |
| 4 | Horowhenua-Kapiti | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 169 | 121 | +48 | 1 | 1 | 26 |
| 5 | King Country | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 196 | 176 | +20 | 3 | 2 | 25 |
| 6 | South Canterbury | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 202 | 165 | +37 | 4 | 1 | 21 |
| 7 | North Otago | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 174 | 155 | +19 | 1 | 2 | 20 |
| 8 | Wanganui | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 203 | 194 | +9 | 3 | 2 | 17 |
| 9 | Thames Valley | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 139 | 135 | +2 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| 10 | West Coast | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 163 | 232 | −69 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
| 11 | Wairarapa Bush | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 151 | 238 | −87 | 2 | 1 | 9 |
| 12 | East Coast | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 67 | 367 | −300 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* Meads Cup, Heartland Championship and ITM Cup Championship qualification
* Lochore Cup qualification
In the case 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 case of a three-team or more tie on points the ranking 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.

## Regular season

The schedule of fixtures was released on 3 April 2014.

### Round 1

* 23 August 2014 14:00 (NZST)
| King Country | 32–13 | Wairarapa Bush |
* Owen Delany Park, Taupō
* 23 August 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Mid Canterbury | 52–27 | West Coast |
* Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton
* 23 August 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Poverty Bay | 52–12 | East Coast |
* Rugby Park, Gisborne
* 23 August 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| South Canterbury | 31–18 | Wanganui |
* Fraser Park, Timaru
* 23 August 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Buller | 17–9 | North Otago |
* Victoria Square, Westport
* 23 August 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Horowhenua-Kapiti | 19–19 | Thames Valley |
* Levin Domain, Levin

### Round 2

* 30 August 2014 13:30 (NZST)
| Wairarapa Bush | 23–23 | Mid Canterbury |
* Memorial Park, Masterton
* 30 August 2014 14:00 (NZST)
| Thames Valley | 15–10 | King Country |
* Boyd Park, Te Aroha
* 30 August 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Wanganui | 23–34 | Horowhenua-Kapiti |
* Cooks Gardens, Wanganui
* 30 August 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| West Coast | 15–49 | South Canterbury |
* Rugby Park, Greymouth
* 30 August 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| East Coast | 6–62 | Buller |
* Whakarua Park, Ruatoria
* 30 August 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| North Otago | 43–34 | Poverty Bay |
* Centennial Park, Oamaru

### Round 3

* 6 September 2014 13:30 (NZST)
| South Canterbury | 43–16 | Wairarapa Bush |
* Fraser Park, Timaru
* 6 September 2014 14:00 (NZST)
| Thames Valley | 20–15 | Mid Canterbury |
* Paeroa Domain, Paeroa
* 6 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Wanganui | 20–15 | North Otago |
* Cooks Gardens, Wanganui
* 6 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Horowhenua-Kapiti | 37–10 | East Coast |
* Levin Domain, Levin
* 6 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| King Country | 29–53 | Buller |
* Rugby Park, Te Kūiti
* 6 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Poverty Bay | 29–20 | West Coast |
* Rugby Park, Gisborne

### Round 4

* 13 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Buller | 19–10 | South Canterbury |
* Victoria Square, Westport
* 13 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| East Coast | 8–21 | Thames Valley |
* Whakarua Park, Ruatoria
* 13 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Mid Canterbury | 30–14 | Wanganui |
* Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton
* 13 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| North Otago | 14–17 | King Country |
* Centennial Park, Oamaru
* 13 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Wairarapa Bush | 10–23 | Poverty Bay |
* Memorial Park, Masterton
* 13 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| West Coast | 17–19 | Horowhenua-Kapiti |
* Rugby Park, Greymouth

### Round 5

* 20 September 2014 14:00 (NZST)
| Thames Valley | 15–19 | North Otago |
* Paeroa Domain, Paeroa
* 20 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Wanganui | 44–7 | East Coast |
* Cooks Gardens, Wanganui
* 20 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Horowhenua-Kapiti | 12–9 | Wairarapa Bush |
* Levin Domain, Levin
* 20 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| King Country | 15–10 | West Coast |
* Owen Delany Park, Taupō
* 20 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Mid Canterbury | 19–29 | Buller |
* Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton
* 20 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| South Canterbury | 32–28 | Poverty Bay |
* Fraser Park, Timaru

### Round 6

* 27 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Buller | 19–12 | Horowhenua-Kapiti |
* Victoria Square, Westport
* 27 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| East Coast | 12–67 | Mid Canterbury |
* Whakarua Park, Ruatoria
* 27 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Poverty Bay | 35–29 | King Country |
* Rugby Park, Gisborne
* 27 September 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| North Otago | 22–19 | South Canterbury |
* Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
* 27 September 2014 14:00 (NZST)
| Wairarapa Bush | 20–18 | Thames Valley |
* Memorial Park, Masterton
* 27 September 2014 13:00 (NZST)
| West Coast | 23–17 | Wanganui |
* Rugby Park, Greymouth

### Round 7

* 4 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Buller | 29–24 | West Coast |
* Victoria Square, Westport
* 4 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| East Coast | 7–34 | King Country |
* Whakarua Park, Ruatoria
* 4 October 2014 14:00 (NZST)
| Horowhenua-Kapiti | 23–11 | South Canterbury |
* Levin Domain, Levin
* 4 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Mid Canterbury | 28–7 | North Otago |
* Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton
* 4 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Thames Valley | 9–17 | Poverty Bay |
* Paeroa Domain, Paeroa
* 4 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Wanganui | 38–24 | Wairarapa Bush |
* Cooks Gardens, Wanganui

### Round 8

* 11 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| King Country | 30–29 | Wanganui |
* Rugby Park, Te Kūiti
* 11 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| North Otago | 45–5 | East Coast |
* Centennial Park, Oamaru
* 11 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Poverty Bay | 13–13 | Horowhenua-Kapiti |
* Rugby Park, Gisborne
* 11 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| South Canterbury | 7–24 | Mid Canterbury |
* Fraser Park, Timaru
* 11 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| Wairarapa Bush | 36–49 | Buller |
* Memorial Park, Masterton
* 11 October 2014 14:30 (NZST)
| West Coast | 27–22 | Thames Valley |
* Rugby Park, Greymouth

## Finals

| Meads Cup semi-finals | Meads Cup semi-finals | Meads Cup semi-finals | Meads Cup final | Meads Cup final | Meads Cup final |
| 1 | Buller | 22 | | | |
| 4 | Horowhenua-Kapiti | 15 | | | |
| 4 | Horowhenua-Kapiti | 15 | 1 | Buller | 13 |
| | | | 3 | Mid Canterbury | 36 |
| 2 | Poverty Bay | 22 | 3 | Mid Canterbury | 36 |
| 3 | Mid Canterbury | 29 | | | |
| Lochore Cup semi-finals | Lochore Cup semi-finals | Lochore Cup semi-finals | Lochore Cup final | Lochore Cup final | Lochore Cup final |
| 5 | King Country | 6 | | | |
| 8 | Wanganui | 37 | | | |
| 8 | Wanganui | 37 | 7 | North Otago | 12 |
| | | | 8 | Wanganui | 14 |
| 6 | South Canterbury | 12 | 8 | Wanganui | 14 |
| 7 | North Otago | 16 | | | |

### Semifinals
#### Meads Cup

* 18 October 2014
| Buller | 22–15 | Horowhenua-Kapiti |
* Victoria Square, Westport
* 18 October 2014
| Poverty Bay | 22–29 | Mid Canterbury |
* Rugby Park, Gisborne

#### Lochore Cup

* 18 October 2014
| King Country | 6–37 | Wanganui |
* Rugby Park, Te Kuiti
* 18 October 2014
| South Canterbury | 12–16 | North Otago |
* Fraser Park, Timaru

### Finals
#### Meads Cup

* 25 October 2014
| Buller | 13–36 | Mid Canterbury |
* Victoria Square, Westport

#### Lochore Cup

* 26 October 2014
| North Otago | 12–14 | Wanganui |
* Centennial Park, Oamaru