Rugbe news
The good stories from around the game, your stories.
Six Kiwis are running clubs in Europe this season, and Munster is one of them
Clayton McMillan at Munster, Chris Boyd at Gloucester, Wayne Pivac at Benetton, Filo Tiatia at the Dragons, John Plumtree at the Sharks and Pat Lam at Bristol. Plus the New Zealanders heading north to play. A guide to who to follow when the Premiership and URC kick off on 25 September.
27 August 2026
Farah Palmer Cup 2026: twelve teams, two pools, and it starts Saturday
The Farah Palmer Cup opens on 29 August with a new twelve-team structure split into Premiership and Championship pools, more than half the matches played as double-headers alongside the NPC, and free entry at Rugby Park in Christchurch.
26 August 2026
NPC round four: Hawke's Bay are four from four, and seven teams are separated by six points
Hawke's Bay put 59 on Manawatu to stay perfect, Northland won in Christchurch, Otago hit 61 and Wellington and Counties Manukau are still looking for a first win. The full round four results and the ladder heading into round five.
24 August 2026
Ten tries in four games: Kyren Taumoefolau is having a season people will remember
A hat-trick in round one, five in a single match to equal Terry Wright's all-time NPC record, then two more against Southland. Tasman's 23-year-old winger has broken the Mako's single-season try record in four matches, and the season is not half over.
24 August 2026
Ten tries and three debutants: Black Ferns 66, Wallaroos 19
The Black Ferns swept the Laurie O'Reilly Cup series with a ten-try performance at Mt Smart, Braxton Sorensen-McGee scoring 21 points and all three debutants making their mark, one short of the competition record.
22 August 2026
Forty-eight years: the Ranfurly Shield is coming to Northland
Northland went to Christchurch and beat Canterbury 36-12 to take the Ranfurly Shield for the first time since 1978, held the champions scoreless for the last 63 minutes, and flew home to a packed airport. The Log o' Wood is going on tour.
20 August 2026
The last kick: 19-year-old Jimmy Taylor wins it for Southland
Southland ended a seven-match NPC losing run in the most dramatic way available, with teenager Jimmy Taylor landing a sideline conversion after the final hooter to beat Waikato 32-31 in Invercargill.
16 August 2026
Shield held: Canterbury survive a Bay of Plenty comeback, 33-28
Canterbury's first defence of the Ranfurly Shield went to the last ten minutes, with Bay of Plenty hauling back a 21-7 deficit to level at 28-28 before Toby Bell's late try settled it in Christchurch.
15 August 2026
Fifty-seven years: Hawke's Bay finally win at Eden Park again
Hawke's Bay beat Auckland 44-31 at Eden Park for their first national championship win there since 1969, scoring six tries against a side reduced to 14 men inside the opening five minutes.
15 August 2026
Free entry, club ground, hat-trick debutant: the Black Ferns in Upper Hutt
The Black Ferns beat the Black Ferns XV 62-19 at Maidstone Park in Upper Hutt, with Elinor-Plum King scoring three on debut, in a free-to-attend hit-out at a community ground before the biggest Test season the team has ever had.
14 August 2026
Taniwha run riot: Northland 42, Taranaki 0
A first-minute charge-down set the tone, Lachie Hooper's first-half hat-trick broke it open, and Rivez Reihana kicked six from six as Northland kept Taranaki scoreless for the first time ever in a record 42-0 win at Semenoff Stadium.
14 August 2026
The NPC is back for its 50th season, with Richie Mo'unga leading the homecomings
New Zealand's provincial competition turns 50 in 2026 and kicks off this week, and one of the great feel-good storylines is Richie Mo'unga pulling on the red and black again for Canterbury.
30 July 2026
Canterbury eye redemption as the 2026 Farah Palmer Cup nears
So close in last year's final, Canterbury open their 2026 Farah Palmer Cup campaign at home to Auckland, with a talented group determined to go one step further.
30 July 2026
Auckland Storm gear up for a fresh Farah Palmer Cup era
A new 12-team format, a season kicking off on 29 August and an early trip south to challenge for the JJ Stewart Trophy. The Auckland Storm have plenty to look forward to in the 2026 Farah Palmer Cup.
30 July 2026
Never say die: Black Ferns Sevens crown a golden 2026 in New York
Down 21-5 with under four minutes left, the Black Ferns Sevens produced one of the great comebacks to beat Australia 22-21 in the New York Grand Final and seal another SVNS League title.
30 July 2026
Champions again: Waikato ready to defend their Farah Palmer Cup crown
Back-to-back titleholders and JJ Stewart Trophy custodians, Waikato head into the 2026 Farah Palmer Cup as the team to beat, with an early home defence against Auckland to look forward to.
30 July 2026
A fresh chapter: the Black Ferns roll through 2026 under Whitney Hansen
New head coach, a record-breaking captain and a clean sweep of the Pacific Four Series. The Black Ferns have opened their 2026 season in style, and an August rematch with Australia now awaits at Mount Smart.
30 July 2026
France Win the Six Nations With the Very Last Kick of a 13-Try Epic
Thomas Ramos slotted a long-range penalty after the final hooter to edge England 48-46 in Paris and hand France back-to-back Six Nations titles.
14 March 2026