mens
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When clearing in the 43rd minute from Northland first-five Reviz Reihan looked dead set to create a likely scrum for Canterbury deep inside Taniwha territory, it hit the post and instead resulted in a net gain of territory for Northland. Before 21-10, you thought that maybe the fairy tale for the visitors was coming true. That’s the kind of wealth you need to take you away.
Instead, a cool, clinical, richer and more experienced Canterbury roared home with too much ammunition for the bench, 43-24. In reality, that’s how it should be. Northland were brave but when the influential Sam Nock was booked in the 49th minute, the wheels came loose. Canterbury won the final half hour of play 35-3 to claim their 16th NPC title.
Who were the performers of the NPC final?
George Bell (Canterbury)
Canterbury had statistically the most accurate and prolific scoring line in the competition. Earlier in the season, Bell scored three tries from the lines in the first half of a 25-24 win over North Harbour. Right after Sam Nock was booked, Bell hit his jumper in the lane and went over for the try that cut the score to 21-15.
Bell is a hive of energy and brought an urgency that the hosts lacked in the first spell. His second try was a textbook whore’s play: hard on the ball, low body position, unstoppable. Canterbury won 14 of 16 lineouts, while Northland made just 69 percent of their throws.
Isaac Hutchinson (Canterbury)
He backed up his two-run semifinal game with a double in the decider. His tries in the 63rd and 75th minutes ensured the defending champions would not go through. In addition, he produced a key offload in the encounter to Canterbury’s second score.
It’s been a big year for the former St Bede’s College fullback who ironically made his debut for the Bosses in their 42-22 win against Fijian Drua in the “Super Round” in Christchurch on April 25. Hutchinson was named Canterbury NPC Rooike of the Year 2024. In 2025, while playing for his club, Marist Albion, he fractured his right knee in an injury he said “looked like I’d been in a car accident.” An eye for difference, speed, versatility and grit, Hutchinson is one to watch if he can stay injury free.
Sam Nock (Northland)
His yellow card, legally not rolled over, changed the game, but before that there was a brilliant 49 minutes from the Taniwha centurion. He varied his options nicely with clever quick moves, quick, neat passes, and his break to dislodge Corey Evans just before half-time might have briefly sent the locals into a panic.
Rival halfback Louie Chapman was a standout player for the Christchurch Boys High School First XV. He made 40 appearances for Tasman but he never found his feet with Mako. On his return to Canterbury, he won 19 of 23 games, scored seven tries and gave up Edinburgh in the best form of his career.
Province of New Zealand
Northland’s epic run to the finals, in addition to continued success Taranaki and strong recent seasons from Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty, show that rugby can still thrive in the provinces. The best way to engage fans in a small country is through community and tribalism. Northland has shown what is possible with smart coaching, recruiting, management and opportunities. But while the NPC is unquestionably winning the hearts of provincial New Zealand, apart from Canterbury, it is popping up in the cities, particularly Wellington.
Despite winning premierships in 2022 and 2024, Wellington’s shock collapse, losing every game and conceding more than 50 points in half of them, underlines what the bottom looks like in Rugby NZ’s report entitled “Rugby System Program – Rugby Summit read ahead”. Multinational accounting firm Deloitte has flagged current expenditure for New Zealand rugby “obviously unsustainable”, with a “structural deficit”.
for years, Wellington has played games in a huge stadium with huge operating costs, while hardly anyone shows up. They overspent on players, staff, competitions and almost every aspect of the game, to the point where they lost $2 million in the last two years. Furthermore, the culture was so toxic that referees boycotted a round of club and school rugby to counter touchline and player abuse. Over the past year, Wellington has replaced its entire 12-member board, with the CEO resigning this week.
