# 2008 Air New Zealand Cup

The 2008 National Provincial Championship was the third season of the National Provincial Championship (known as the Air New Zealand Cup for sponsorship reasons), a provincial rugby union competition involving 14 teams from New Zealand, since it was reorganised in 2006. Matches started on 31 July 2008, and continued until the final on 25 October 2008.
This season was the third of the expanded competition, which succeeded the First Division of the National Provincial Championship. It started with a 10-week round robin in which each team played against all but three of the others in the competition. This was followed by a knockout playoff involving eight teams, made up of quarterfinals, semifinals and the final.
On 11 August 2008, the New Zealand Rugby Union initially announced that Tasman and Northland would both be relegated from the Air New Zealand Cup after the completion of the 2008 season. Both teams failed to meet criteria which included financial stability, population, player training and development, playing history, and administration. This decision was reversed towards the end of the 2008 season, with Tasman and Northland remaining in the competition for two more years.
Canterbury won their sixth national provincial title by defeating Wellington 7–6 at Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington. It was the third consecutive season that Wellington have finished runners-up.

## Standings

* Qualified for the quarterfinals
The top eight teams in pool play advanced to the quarterfinals.
| | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | BP1 | BP2 | Pts |
| 1 | Wellington | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 353 | 161 | +192 | 8 | 0 | 44 |
| 2 | Canterbury | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 270 | 101 | +169 | 5 | 1 | 42 |
| 3 | Hawke's Bay | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 265 | 183 | +82 | 5 | 1 | 34 |
| 4 | Bay of Plenty | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 185 | 152 | +33 | 2 | 3 | 28 |
| 5 | Southland | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 225 | 249 | −24 | 3 | 1 | 25 |
| 6 | Waikato | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 258 | 235 | +23 | 5 | 2 | 25 |
| 7 | Tasman | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 188 | 200 | −12 | 2 | 3 | 23 |
| 8 | Taranaki | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 201 | 209 | −8 | 3 | 2 | 23 |
| 9 | Northland | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 212 | 227 | −15 | 3 | 3 | 22 |
| 10 | Otago | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 207 | 231 | −24 | 2 | 2 | 22 |
| 11 | Auckland | 10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 149 | 193 | −44 | 2 | 0 | 22 |
| 12 | North Harbour | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 225 | 285 | −61 | 3 | 4 | 19 |
| 13 | Counties Manukau | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 140 | 317 | −177 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
| 14 | Manawatu | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 149 | 283 | −134 | 2 | 1 | 9 |

### Table notes

* Pos = Table position
* Pld = Played
* W = Win (worth 4 points)
* D = Draw (worth 2 points)
* L = Loss (worth 0 points)
* PF = For (total points scored)
* PA = Against (total points scored against)
* PD = Points difference
* BP1 = Try bonus point (1 bonus point was awarded to any team that scores four tries or more regardless of win/loss/draw)
* BP2 = Losing bonus point (1 bonus point was awarded to the losing side if the loss was by 7 points or less)
* Pts = Progressive points tally
NB:
* It is possible to receive 2 bonus points in a loss.
* In the event of a tie on points the ranking of teams is decided by:
* The winner of the last match between the two provinces if played this season then,
* Highest points differential then,
* Most tries scored then,
* A coin toss.

## Results
### Round 1

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Northland | 18–10 | Waikato | 31 July 2008 | Homeworld Stadium, Whangārei | 3,000 |
| Tasman (1 BP) | 7–8 | Bay of Plenty | 31 July 2008 | Lansdowne Park, Blenheim | 2,500 |
| Wellington (1 BP) | 30–6 | Hawke's Bay | 1 August 2008 | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 7,148 |
| Taranaki | 20–13 | North Harbour (1 BP) | 1 August 2008 | Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth | 6,300 |
| Canterbury (1 BP) | 24–25 | Manawatu | 2 August 2008 | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | 7,500 |
| Southland (1 BP) | 23–25 | Otago | 2 August 2008 | Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill | 7,500 |
| Counties-Manukau | 17–6 | Auckland | 3 August 2008 | Growers Stadium, Pukekohe | 6,500 |

### Round 2

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| North Harbour (1 BP) | 27–30 | Wellington (1 BP) | 7 August 2008 | North Harbour Stadium, Albany | 3,500 |
| Manawatu | 5–18 | Southland | 8 August 2008 | FMG Stadium, Palmerston North | 7,000 |
| Waikato (1 BP) | 14–16 | Tasman | 8 August 2008 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton | 7,100 |
| Otago (1 BP) | 13–20 | Canterbury | 9 August 2008 | Carisbrook, Dunedin | 5,000 |
| Bay of Plenty (1 BP) | 45–3 | Counties-Manukau | 9 August 2008 | International Stadium, Rotorua | 6,300 |
| Hawke's Bay (1 BP) | 43–31 | Northland | 9 August 2008 | McLean Park, Napier | 4,000 |
| Auckland | (RS) 22–6 | Taranaki | 10 August 2008 | Eden Park, Auckland | 9,500 |

### Round 3

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Manawatu (1 BP) | 38–38 | Waikato (1 BP) | 14 August 2008 | FMG Stadium, Palmerston North | 4,000 |
| Otago | 23–18 | Northland (1 BP) | 15 August 2008 | Carisbrook, Dunedin | 3,500 |
| Wellington (1 BP) | 64–7 | Counties-Manukau | 15 August 2008 | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 6,260 |
| Bay of Plenty (1 BP) | 38–31 | North Harbour (2 BP) | 16 August 2008 | Baypark Stadium, Tauranga | 9,200 |
| Hawke's Bay (1 BP) | 16–20 | Southland | 16 August 2008 | McLean Park, Napier | 5,600 |
| Canterbury (1 BP) | 34–3 | Auckland | 16 August 2008 | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | 9,000 |
| Tasman | 33–23 | Taranaki | 17 August 2008 | Trafalgar Park, Nelson | 5,600 |

### Round 4

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Counties-Manukau | 8–22 | Otago | 21 August 2008 | Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland | 1,000 |
| Northland (1 BP) | 10–15 | Bay of Plenty | 22 August 2008 | Homeworld Stadium, Whangārei | 14,200 |
| Southland | 7–26 | Wellington (1 BP) | 22 August 2008 | Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill | 7,500 |
| Auckland | (RS) 25–3 | Manawatu | 23 August 2008 | Eden Park, Auckland | 7,500 |
| Tasman | 6–41 | Hawke's Bay (1 BP) | 23 August 2008 | Lansdowne Park, Blenheim | 3,500 |
| Taranaki | 0–14 | Canterbury | 23 August 2008 | Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth | 6,400 |
| North Harbour | 15–10 | Waikato (1 BP) | 24 August 2008 | North Harbour Stadium, Albany | 3,800 |

### Round 5

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Southland (1 BP) | 31–8 | Counties-Manukau | 28 August 2008 | Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill | 7,000 |
| Taranaki (1 BP) | 39–21 | Northland | 29 August 2008 | Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth | 4,000 |
| Otago | 10–19 | Hawke's Bay | 29 August 2008 | Carisbrook, Dunedin | 4,500 |
| Wellington (1 BP) | 48–12 | Bay of Plenty | 30 August 2008 | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 15,242 |
| Manawatu (1 BP) | 17–20 | North Harbour | 30 August 2008 | FMG Stadium, Palmerston North | 7,000 |
| Waikato (1 BP) | 34–13 | Auckland | 30 August 2008 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton | 9,500 |
| Canterbury (1 BP) | 44–15 | Tasman | 31 August 2008 | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | 8,000 |

### Round 6

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Hawke's Bay | 18–14 | Taranaki (1 BP) | 4 September 2008 | McLean Park, Napier | 6,300 |
| Bay of Plenty (1 BP) | 31–20 | Otago | 5 September 2008 | Baypark Stadium, Tauranga | 13,500 |
| Manawatu | 13–36 | Wellington (1 BP) | 5 September 2008 | FMG Stadium, Palmerston North | 8,000 |
| Auckland | (RS) 13–9 | Southland | 6 September 2008 | Eden Park, Auckland | 7,500 |
| Northland | 10–31 | Tasman (1BP) | 6 September 2008 | Homeworld Stadium, Whangārei | 6,000 |
| North Harbour | 9–36 | Canterbury (1BP) | 6 September 2008 | North Harbour Stadium, Albany | 3,900 |
| Waikato | 20–15 | Counties-Manukau (1 BP) | 7 September 2008 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton | 12,000 |

### Round 7

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Taranaki | 14–3 | Manawatu | 11 September 2008 | Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth | 4,800 |
| Bay of Plenty (1 BP) | 20–25 | Auckland | 12 September 2008 | International Stadium, Rotorua | 8,000 |
| Northland (1 BP) | 3–5 | Canterbury | 12 September 2008 | Homeworld Stadium, Whangārei | 4,200 |
| Tasman | 21–21 | Otago | 13 September 2008 | Trafalgar Park, Nelson | 6,700 |
| Southland (1BP) | 43–7 | North Harbour | 13 September 2008 | Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill | 6,482 |
| Wellington (1BP) | 45–33 | Waikato (1 BP) | 13 September 2008 | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 13,122 |
| Counties-Manukau | 14–45 | Hawke's Bay (1 BP) | 14 September 2008 | Growers Stadium, Pukekohe | 4,850 |

### Round 8

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Canterbury (1 BP) | 37–20 | Bay of Plenty | 18 September 2008 | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | 9,500 |
| Tasman (1 BP) | 3–6 | Southland | 19 September 2008 | Lansdowne Park, Blenheim | 4,500 |
| Otago (2BP) | 27–31 | Taranaki (1BP) | 19 September 2008 | Carisbrook, Dunedin | 2,000 |
| Counties-Manukau (1BP) | 27–14 | Manawatu | 20 September 2008 | Growers Stadium, Pukekohe | 3,700 |
| Hawke's Bay (1BP) | 24–15 | Waikato | 20 September 2008 | McLean Park, Napier | 7,800 |
| Auckland | (RS) 0–27 | Wellington (1BP) | 20 September 2008 | Eden Park, Auckland | 16,000 |
| North Harbour (1BP) | 24–35 | Northland (1BP) | 21 September 2008 | North Harbour Stadium, Albany | 2,500 |

### Round 9

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Bay of Plenty | 24–22 | Southland (1BP) | 25 September 2008 | Baypark Stadium, Tauranga | 8,100 |
| Waikato (1 BP) | 39–10 | Otago | 26 September 2008 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton | 8,500 |
| Taranaki | 13–13 | Counties-Manukau | 26 September 2008 | Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth | 6,500 |
| North Harbour (1BP) | 22–29 | Auckland (1BP) | 27 September 2008 | North Harbour Stadium, Albany | 5,700 |
| Wellington | (RS) 26–20 | Tasman (1BP) | 27 September 2008 | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 14,143 |
| Canterbury (1BP) | 31–7 | Hawke's Bay | 27 September 2008 | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | 10,065 |
| Northland (1 BP) | 45–24 | Manawatu (1 BP) | 28 September 2008 | Homeworld Stadium, Whangārei | 4,200 |

### Round 10

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Waikato (1BP) | 45–41 | Taranaki (2BP) | 2 October 2008 | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton | 8,500 |
| Southland | 6–25 | Canterbury | 3 October 2008 | Rugby Park Stadium, Invercargill | 9,000 |
| Hawke's Bay (1BP) | 46–12 | Bay of Plenty | 3 October 2008 | McLean Park, Napier | 7,327 |
| Manawatu | 7–36 | Tasman (1BP) | 4 October 2008 | FMG Stadium, Palmerston North | 5,000 |
| Counties-Manukau (1BP) | 28–57 | North Harbour (1 BP) | 4 October 2008 (1BP) | Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland | 800 |
| Otago (1BP) | 36–21 | Wellington | 4 October 2008 | Carisbrook, Dunedin | 3,500 |
| Auckland | 13–21 | Northland | 5 October 2008 | Eden Park, Auckland | 6,540 |

## Knockout stage

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| 10 October – Christchurch | 10 October – Christchurch | | | |
| Canterbury | 48 | | | |
| Canterbury | 48 | 18 October – Christchurch | 18 October – Christchurch | | |
| Tasman | 10 | 18 October – Christchurch | 18 October – Christchurch | |
| Tasman | 10 | Canterbury | 31 | |
| 12 October – Napier | 12 October – Napier | | Canterbury | 31 | |
| 12 October – Napier | 12 October – Napier | Hawke's Bay | 21 | |
| Hawke's Bay | 31 | Hawke's Bay | 21 | |
| Hawke's Bay | 31 | | | | 25 October – Wellington | 25 October – Wellington |
| Waikato | 28 | | | | 25 October – Wellington | 25 October – Wellington |
| Waikato | 28 | | | | Canterbury | 7 |
| 11 October – Wellington | 11 October – Wellington | | | | | Canterbury | 7 |
| 11 October – Wellington | 11 October – Wellington | | | | Wellington | 6 |
| Wellington | 50 | | | | Wellington | 6 |
| Wellington | 50 | 17 October – Wellington | 17 October – Wellington | | | |
| Taranaki | 30 | 17 October – Wellington | 17 October – Wellington | | | |
| Taranaki | 30 | Wellington | 28 | | | |
| 11 October – Tauranga | 11 October – Tauranga | | Wellington | 28 | | | |
| 11 October – Tauranga | 11 October – Tauranga | Southland | 19 | |
| Bay of Plenty | 11 | Southland | 19 | |
| Southland | 45 | | | |

### Quarterfinals

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Canterbury | 48–10 | Tasman | 10 October 2008 | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | 7,500 |
| Wellington | 50–30 | Taranaki | 11 October 2008 | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 13,164 |
| Bay of Plenty | 11–45 | Southland | 11 October 2008 | Baypark Stadium, Tauranga | 6,800 |
| Hawke's Bay | 31–28 | Waikato | 12 October 2008 | McLean Park, Napier | 10,866 |

### Semifinals

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Wellington | 28–19 | Southland | 17 October 2008 | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 11,517 |
| Canterbury | 31–21 | Hawke's Bay | 18 October 2008 | Lancaster Park, Christchurch | 7,000 |

### Final

| Home | Score | Away | Match information | Match information | Match information | Match information | Match information | Match information |
| Home | Score | Away | Date | Venue | Attendance |
| Wellington | 6–7 | Canterbury | 25 October 2008 | Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington | 21,237 |

## Statistics
### Points scorers

| Pos | Player | Team | Pts |
| 1 | Blair Stewart | Southland | 105 |
| 2 | Matt Berquist | Hawke's Bay | 97 |
| 3 | Mike Delany | Bay of Plenty | 93 |
| 4 | Willie Ripia | Taranaki | 93 |
| 5 | Jimmy Gopperth | North Harbour | 90 |

### Try scorers

| Pos | Player | Team | Tries |
| 1 | Hosea Gear | Wellington | 14 |
| 2 | Zac Guildford | Hawke's Bay | 8 |
| 3= | James Paterson | Canterbury | 7 |
| 3= | Lote Raikabula | Manawatu | 7 |
| 3= | Karne Hesketh | Otago | 7 |
| 3= | Paul Perez | Taranaki | 7 |