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Heartland Championship
Current season, competition or edition: 2024 Heartland Championship | |
 | |
| Formerly | National Provincial Championship (1976–2005) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Founded | 2006 |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country |  New Zealand |
| Most recent champion(s) | Thames Valley (2024) |
| Most titles | Whanganui (6 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | Sky Sport |
| Sponsor(s) | Bunnings |
| Related competitions | Farah Palmer Cup National Provincial Championship |
| Official website | provincial.rugby |
The Heartland Championship is an annual round-robin rugby union competition in men's domestic New Zealand rugby. First played in 2006, it is the third highest level of competition in New Zealand alongside the Ranfurly Shield. It is organised by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and since 2021, it has been known as the Bunnings Heartland Championship after Bunnings, its naming rights sponsor.
Following the 2005 National Provincial Championship the competitions were restructured into a two-tier competition. The Heartland Championship would include semi-professional and amateur players, and consist of the bottom twelve populated and performing regional teams. For sponsorship reasons it was rebranded as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship. The remaining teams would continue to exist in the newly reformed professional competition known as the National Provincial Championship.[1]
- ^ "NZRU releases eligibility criteria for new competitions". All Blacks. 4 November 2004. Archived from the original on 13 February 2005. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
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