The NPC semi-finalists are locked in and, like 2025, the final could be an all-South Island affair between Canterbury and Otago. Rampant Canterbury will host the furious Bulls Taranaki, which is at an unprecedented point. Taranaki whooped North Harbour 50-31 in Albany, marking their fourth straight victory, scoring 50 points. Canterbury was more emphatic, destructive Waikato 62-26 in Christchurch.
Otago they will travel to Whangarei to deal Northland in high spirits after defeating Hawke’s Bay 50-14. Otago’s biggest win against Hawke’s Bay is 64-21 at McLean Park in Napier in 2017. Fletcher Smith scored 34 points in that game. Otago won 37-0 at Carisbrook in Dunedin in 2006. Hawke’s Bay won their first six games and lost their next five, their worst run since 2016.
It was a high-octane, high-scoring weekend of rugby. Who were the quarter-final NPC players this week?
Bradley Slater (Taranaki)
Taranaki have scored 50 or more points in four consecutive games, something a Division 1 NPC union has never achieved. Their main weapon is the lineout drive. All black people whore Bradley Slater repeated his hat-trick against North Harbor with a push from a reliable source. Together with Asafo Aumu, he now has two hat-tricks in the NPC.
Taranaki’s line secured 16 of 17 disposals, while Slater made 14 tackles and 10 tackles in a typically industrious, accurate display. It’s not flashy, but few get the job done more efficiently.
Wing Kini Naholo celebrated his 50th game with two tries. Fullback Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens can’t be far from contention for the All Blacks. The obvious question is his high ball strength, but he has the height and size to hold his own.
Taranaki’s scoring run is remarkable considering they have won just three of their first seven matches. 1984 champions Auckland scored four half-centuries, though not consecutively. What made their effort remarkable was that the tries were only worth four points. It was the first of 10 championships in 13 years. In total, they won 208 out of 235 games.
In 2012, Canterbury won the championship and scored 50 points in a span of five out of six wins, the lowest score coming in a 44-3 win over Hawke’s Bay.
North Harbor was better, going from one win in 2025 to six wins and a fourth-place finish in 2026. Byrn Hall, who passed 100 games at halfback, led the way along with side horse Jed Melvin, who ranked in the top ten of the NPC in carries (128) after the round. Center Tom Barham and wing Rory Taylor ranked in the top ten try scorers. Taylor was a revelation, also ranking in the top ten in carries, yards gained and defenders defeated.
Brodie McAlister (Canterbury)
When Canterbury scored a try on a 15-metre drive involving a dozen players, it signaled a poor afternoon for Waikato. Of course, they conceded their biggest ever score against Canterbury. The previous worst was 58 in 2014 and 1995.
Canterbury took all 14 throws to the line, with kicker Brodie McAlister profiting with a hat-trick. Plus he made a strong carry before Dominic Gardiner’s try. Nine tackles and eight disposals highlighted his all-round excellence.
Canterbury locks Sam Darry (12 tackles, 13 clearances) and Taylor Cahill (16 crosses, 7 clearances) each won four lines, the latter scoring a try.
With the fundamentals well done, powerful backs Dallas McLeod and Kurtis MacDonald flourished, helping Canterbury win their sixth game. Canterbury are favorites for the title.
Terrell Peita (North Country)
When the fierce rush no. 8 broke for a try in the 51st minute, his third powerful carry in a minute, gave Northland a lead they never lost. Peita gained more possessions than any Northland player and was second in tackles (15). Northland quickly fell behind 14-0, but returned to the direct, abrasive, precise, no-nonsense approach that served them well in 2026. Tasman he could not match the host physically.
A product of Auckland’s Mount Albert Grammar School, Peita looked destined for big things when he was named captain in 2018 New Zealand M?ori Under 18 (Ng? Whatukura) team which included future All Blacks Ruben Love and Cortez Ratima. They stunned higher-ranked New Zealand Barbarians 21-20 in Wellington. In 2020, he was in the New Zealand under-20 national team, but his career then stopped.
Seven games in three seasons for Auckland was frustrating, so he went for it Manawatu 2023 Played eight games, including rare wins against Northland (31-30) and Auckland (33-31). He scored a try for the Turbos in their first win at Eden Park since 1980.
Since joining Northland, he has found his feet, appearing in 25 of the last 31 games. In 2025, he was the Northland Player of the Year and again reached that standard. Northland has won 13 games in the past two years; Peita was involved in 11 of them. In May, he made his debut for Blues in their 45-19 victory Pacific Ocean in Super Rugby Pacific.
Tasman’s season was a mixed bag, finishing 6-5, never winning more than two games in a row. What could have been if All Blacks like Timoci Tavatavanawai and Ethan Blackadder weren’t constantly being cottoned on? Winger Kyren Taumoefolau, with a record 19 tries, scoring at least one goal in nine of 11 matches, was phenomenal. Youngsters Eli Oudenryn (whore), Johnny Lee (hip) and Cooper Roberts (midfield) enhanced their growing reputations.
Meanwhile, David Havili played his last first-class game in New Zealand for now, ending one of the most dominant domestic careers. With Mak he played 90 games, scored 29 tries and racked up 63 wins as part of two Tasman teams that won NPC titles in 2019 and 2020 and their Ranfurly Shield wins in 2024.
With the Crusaders, the record was even more impressive. Seven titles, 155 games, 37 tries and 115 wins. All Black #1161 played 32 Tests (23 wins) between 2017 and 2024.
Canterbury Women
After three straight final defeats, Canterbury beat Auckland 50-24 to claim their sixth Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) Premiership title. Since 2017, Canterbury has been the standard-bearer in New Zealand women’s rugby, winning 69 of 79 games, and 2026 is arguably their most dominant season, scoring 50 or more points in five wins, including the semi-final and final.
Players with real promise include fullback Winnie Palamo, wings Louise Blyde (15 games, 12 tries) and Binky Muumaa (12 games, 18 tries), hook Hooly Wratt-Groeneweg, lock Paris Lokotui, loose forward Fiaali’i Solomon, and half Kelsey McCook. Former England international winger Maisy Allen (5 Tests, 5 wins) was a dominant addition.
On only two previous occasions has the team passed 50 points in an FPC Premiership decider. In 2002, Auckland beat Canterbury 53-3 in the midst of a 71-game winning streak. In 2018, Canterbury has passed in the past Counties Manukau 52-29, and Black Ferns leading scorer Kendra Cocksedge scored 27 points.
