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2026 Hilux NPC regular season ended with significant growth in several key metrics, including a 57 percent jump in game attendance and a 103 percent increase in contest social media viewership.
The figures were released ahead of the first round of the play-offs this week and also highlighted the outstanding firepower displayed throughout the season, with a historic 61.6 points scored per game average thanks to 645 attempts in 10 weeks of competition.
Tasman winger Kyren Taumoefolau did his part to push forward numbers, erasing the previous single-season mark of 15 tries when he crossed the line four times in the final round, taking his season tally to 18. The 23-year-old also led the season in tackles, tackles and metres. All black people-acceptable this week after presentation Tonga as a teenager at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
From a team perspective, Otago led with 386 points, the most accumulated by any team since Canterbury’s 2022 campaign. Otago’s rising star Lucas Casey was overshadowed by Taumoefolau’s attempts to score but finished with an impressive tally of 10 tries, the second most by a 2026 player.
Match attendances for the season reached north of 300,000, a figure that must have benefited from Canterbury’s new stadium, Te Kaha, which opened its doors just four months before Round 1. But the added interest is also reflected in the broadcast figures, with just two million Kiwis tuning in to Sky Sport and GoSport Now. flows during the season.
Social media engagement figures include 35,000 new followers across provincial rugby channels, which generated 92 million views.
This weekend will see the quarter finals Northland host Tasman, North Harbour host Taranaki, Otago host Hawke’s Bay, and Canterbury host Waikato. Counties Manukau have locked up the Ranfurly Shield for the summer, but the eight remaining teams are battling it out to be crowned NPC champions in the competition’s 50th season.
