Domestic rugby season preparations are in full swing with the 2022 season draws announced for the Bunnings Warehouse NPC, Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) presented by Bunnings Warehouse and the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship.  

The new Bunnings Warehouse NPC format, featuring all 14 teams playing for one title for the first time since 2010, kicks off on Friday 5 August with Manawatu playing Canterbury in Palmerston North.  

The new format was announced in February and sees teams placed into two pools made up of teams with seedings based on the previous season’s standings. Odd numbered teams will be in one pool, and even number teams will be in the other with four crossover matches. 

The Bunnings NPC sees teams seeded into two conferences based on the previous season’s standings following the round-robin matches and quarterfinals. Teams placed 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 will play in the Odds conference and teams placed 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 will play in the Evens conference in 2022. The round-robin includes four crossover matches per team, where teams from the Odds conference will play teams from the Evens conference.  

Odds teams this season are Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Otago, Southland, and Counties Manukau. Evens teams this season include Tasman, Canterbury, Auckland, Taranaki, Manawatū, North Harbour and Northland.  

All Bunnings Warehouse NPC and FPC presented by Bunnings Warehouse matches will be broadcast live and exclusive on Sky.  

The SBS Bank Southland Stags have five home games with two Saturday and Three Sunday Games, all afternoon slots for greater community engagement!

2022 SBS Bank Southland Stags Home Games

SBS Southland Stags Vs Auckland

Sunday August 14^th 2.05pm Rugby Park

SBS Bank Southland Stags vs Otago

Sunday August 21^st 2.05pm Rugby Park

SBS Bank Southland Stags vs Wellington Lions

Saturday September 3^rd 4.35pm Rugby Park

SBS Bank Southland Stags vs Counties Manukau Steelers

Sunday September 25^th 4.35pm Rugby Park

SBS Bank Southland Stags vs North Harbour

Saturday October 1^st 2.05pm Rugby Park

Bunnings Warehouse NPC - to view the full draw click here 

Rugby Southland and the SBS Bank Southland Stags look forward to welcoming the fans back for what is looking to be a bumper season! Tickets will be on sale in coming Months through ILT Stadium Southland and Ticketek. 

Article added: Wednesday 18 May 2022