The most shocking and sensational moment of the 50th NPC was on August 20 in Christchurch when Northland smacked Canterbury 36-12 to win the Ranfurly Shield for the first time since 1978.
It was their first win against Canterbury since 1999 and their first in Christchurch since 1987.
Could Taniwha pull off an even more significant heist at Te Kaha/One New Zealand Stadium on Labor Day Sunday and win the best NPC for the first time?
In their 38-19 semi-final sweep of 2025 runners-up Otago, Northland showed they had the guts and brains to go all the way.
Canterbury are 15-time title winners and are on a seven-match winning streak. In their 38-28 semi-final win against Taranaki, they were polished, shutting out Taranaki, who scored an unprecedented four half-centuries in a row.
The visitors did not take the lead even once, and Canterbury were ahead on 66 minutes. Since 2007, Canterbury have won 23 of their 25 home finals matches.
Meanwhile, the silverware was handed out in the Heartland Championship. Whanganui defeated South Canterbury 43-42 in the Lochore Cup.
There is also a new winner of the premier Heartland competition, the Meads Cup.
Who were the performers of the week in the penultimate NPC 50 show?
Kurtis MacDonald (Canterbury)
At 193cm and 108kg, the 22-year-old winger has the height and weight to impose himself physically, but is also skilled in the air.
In the build-up to Canterbury’s fourth try scored by lock Sam Darry, he outpaced All Black Josh Jacomb to steal possession and into the 22.
Earlier, he prevailed in another shooting duel and hit an inch from the line, resisting the temptation to reach out and instead calmly recycling himself to lock down Xavier Tracey.
MacDonald was all over the place in this contest with 14 carries for 100m, including four line breaks, but it was his aerial work that set him apart. He is one of the fastest, smartest and most capable in the NPC.
His attempt was wonderful. Almost everyone expected a line drive from 10 meters. Instead, in an act of deception, openside Corey Kellow delivered a pivot pass that saw MacDonald go through untouched.
A product of the Christchurch High School Boys’ First XV, where he played with fellow Canterbury players Riley Brewis, Finn McLeod and Manumau Letiu, MacDonald played five games for Canterbury last year.
That was enough to attract the interest of the Crusaders. Scored a try with his first touch of the ball Super Rugby Pacific in a 50-21 win Pacific Ocean at North Harbour Stadium on March 21.
On May 18, he returned in the Crusaders’ 36-20 win over Blues in Christchurch, but unfortunately received a 20-minute red card and four-match suspension after colliding with Stephen Perofet while diving for a high ball.
High ball issues have not hindered him in NPC 2026. He has scored three tries in eight games and looks an intriguing prospect, especially if the current trend of contested shots continues.
Sam Darry (Canterbury)
Canterbury have won 12 of their last 13 matches as Sam Darry has started the draw and the big All Black has been at the heart of Canterbury’s forward dominance.
He carried 15 times, scored a try, topped the home side’s try tally with 12 and helped the line win 17 of 19 disposals, including the catch that led to Kurtis MacDonald’s outstanding try.
Moreover, Canterbury’s pack prevented Taranaki from starting their dangerous driving game.
The Canterbury pack is strong but always looks more formidable when the Christ’s College product is in the second row.
Featured Fono (North Country)
While Maori All black people stalwart prop Marcel Renata scored two tries and Crusaders Super Rugby Pacific winner Reviz Rehanina scored 18 points, kicking seven goals from eight tries, and the work of loosehead prop Esila Fono has been equally important to Northland’s success.
The Whangarei Boys’ High School and Hora Hora product played the full 80 minutes of Friday’s semi-final and was busy with ten tackles and nine disposals. More importantly, his racing kept getting more and more awesome.
Its dismantling Otago A care in the 56th minute led to a try by Heremaie Murray, making it 22-14. The visitors imploded after that, giving up the next 16 points without reply.
Fono made his debut for Northland in 2022. He played 32 games. In 2026, he was part of the wider Blues squad for training.
Ryan Martin (North Country Coach)
Northland will be competing in its first NPC Division I final, and much of the credit goes to second-year head coach Ryan Martin.
He has assembled a smartly constructed team powered by experienced forwards who are rarely better at set pieces but also capable of producing surprises, superbly led at half-time by centurion Sam Nock and first five Reviz Rehanina.
Ironically, Martin is from Otago; captained the Otago Boys’ High School First XV at half-back in 1998, leading them to 23 out of 27 wins, including the National Top Four title, with future All Blacks captain Richie McCaw (148 Tests, 131 wins) in the open.
After excelling as a coach at his former school, where he won 94 out of 100 competitive matches and 48 out of 55 inter-school matches, he led the Kaikorai Rugby Club to the 2016 Dunedin Senior Championship.
He then joined Otago as attack coach and won the Ranfurly Shield twice in 2018 and 2020. After spells with the Asia Pacific Dragons, Melbourne Rebels and Toyota Verblitz, he rejoined the New England Free Jacks in Major League Rugby.
in 2025 he led the Free Jacks to a 14–5 record and won Major League Rugby title, completing a historic three-peat. He was named MLR coach of the year 2025.
2025 led Northland to five wins and a draw against eventual champions Canterbury. In 2026, Northland won more Division 1 games than in any season and won the Ranfurly Shield for the first time since 1978.
After the Shield’s shock loss to Counties Manukau, there could have been alarms that the wheels were about to fall off. Instead, Northland bounces back, winning three games in a row. Even if they lose the final, the season would be considered a great triumph.
Since 1997, Northland has had just three seasons in which it won more games than it lost; two are under Martin. In 2001, they were 5-5, and in 2020, they were 6-6.
King Country Rams
King Country won the Heartland Championship for the first time on Saturday, beating defending champions Mid Canterbury 24-14 in the final in Ashburton.
The Rams had just two wins last season and have had just seven seasons with more wins than losses since the start of the Heartland Championship in 2006.
King Country was one of three teams to win six of eight round robin games, while five other teams won five. In the semi-final they defeated North Otago 36-24 in Oamaru. Halfback Kristian Gent-Standen scored two tries.
First five Hone Mathieson was a key figure and scored 92 points for his province. Prop Joe Walsh, who played 75 games for Southland, stepped up the set. Veteran scrumhalf Liam Rowlands, with 63 caps, has been consistently reliable.
Lock Peter Te Kahu has been a mainstay for two seasons and openside Leveson Gower is a workhorse. Head coach Aarin Dunster played 113 games for King Country, including stints with his son Cruise.
King Country President Paul “Ox” Mitchell played more games for King Country than anyone else (146).
e is the younger brother of former All Blacks and England women’s coach John Mitchell. Paul is married to former New Zealand basketball player Shelley Meads, daughter of the King Country’s most famous rugby identity, Sir Colin ‘Pinetree’ Meads, who played 139 games for the Rams.
Black Ferns Rugby World Cup captain Dame Farah Palmer and legendary commentator and writer Keith Quinn also hail from the King Country.