Canterbury have won rugby’s National Provincial Championship (NPC) for the second year in a row, beating Northland 43–24 in the final in Christchurch on Monday 26 October 2026.
The game was played on Labour Day at One New Zealand Stadium, Te Kaha, in front of a sold-out crowd.
Northland, playing in their first-ever NPC final, were the better team in the first half. They went into halftime leading 21–10, after centre Corey Evans scored a try just before the break.
But Canterbury came out firing after halftime, scoring five tries in the second half. All Black hooker George Bell scored two of them within five minutes, and replacement winger Isaac Hutchinson also crossed the line.
It’s Canterbury’s 16th NPC title, and a great start for first-year coach Alex Robertson.
Northland still had a season to be proud of, after beating Canterbury 36–12 in August to win the Ranfurly Shield for the first time since 1978.
The NPC is New Zealand’s top provincial rugby competition, where teams from different regions battle it out each year.
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