2017 Heartland Championship

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{{Infobox rugby tournament

| name = 2017 Heartland Championship

| date = {{Start date|2017|08|26|df=y}}–{{End date|2017|10|28|df=y}}

| countries = {{flagicon|New Zealand}} New Zealand

| champion_other = Wanganui (Meads Cup)
Mid Canterbury (Lochore Cup)

| runnerup_other = Horowhenua-Kapiti (Meads Cup)
West Coast (Lochore Cup)

| matches = 54

| top scorer =

| most tries =

| preceded by = 2016

| succeeded by = 2018

}}

The 2017 Heartland Championship, was the twelfth edition of the Heartland Championship, a rugby union competition involving the twelve amateur rugby unions in New Zealand. The tournament included a round-robin stage in which the twelve teams played eight games each and then the top four advanced to the Meads Cup semifinals, while fifth to eighth advanced to the Lochore Cup semifinals.

In both of these knockout stages the top seeds (first and fifth) played at home against the lowest seeds (fourth and eighth), the second highest seeds (second and sixth) played at home against the third highest seeds (third and seventh) and the final had the higher seed play at home against the lower seed.

Wanganui won the Meads Cup for the third time in a row and the sixth time overall.

It was the first win in the Lochore Cup for Mid Canterbury. They had previously won the Meads Cup in 2013 and 2014. As a result, Mid Canterbury joined North Otago, Wairarapa Bush and Wanganui as the provinces to have won both the Meads Cup and Lochore Cup.{{Cite web|url=https://www.globalrugbyresults.com/2017HeartlandChampionship.html|title=2017 Heartland Championship|website=www.globalrugbyresults.com}}

During the Heartland Championship, former All Blacks Piri Weepu, Alby Mathewson and Regan King played for Wairarapa Bush, King Country and Mid Canterbury respectively.{{Cite web|url=https://rugbyheartland.co.nz/wp/2017/08/24/mitre-10-heartland-championship-2017-kicks-off/|title=Mitre 10 Heartland Championship 2017 kicks off - RUGBY HEARTLAND|date=August 24, 2017|website=rugbyheartland.co.nz}}

Teams

{{Location map+ |New Zealand |width=300 |float=right |caption=Locations of teams in the 2016 Heartland Championship |places=

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-41.754026 |long=171.601360 |label=Buller |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-37.888538 |long=178.323190 |label=East Coast |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-40.621184 |long=175.282145 |label=Horowhenua-Kapiti |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-38.669931 |long=176.097193 |label=King Country |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-43.895357 |long=171.768923 |label=Mid Canterbury |position=right}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-45.070369 |long=170.982800 |label=North Otago |position=right}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-38.652338 |long=177.985725 |label=Poverty Bay |position=bottom}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-44.396742 |long=171.226741 |label=South Canterbury |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-37.546211 |long=175.700698 |label=Thames Valley |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-40.956924 |long=175.655100 |label=Wairarapa Bush |position=right}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-39.934273 |long=175.050080 |label=Wanganui |position=left}}

{{Location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-42.465457 |long=171.196754 |label=West Coast |position=left}}

}}

The 2017 Heartland Championship was contested by the following teams:

class="wikitable sortable"
Team ! Super Rugby partner ! Hometown
Buller \|Crusaders \|Westport
East Coast \|Hurricanes \|Ruatoria
Horowhenua-Kapiti \|Hurricanes \|Levin
King Country \|Chiefs \|Taupō
Mid Canterbury \|Crusaders \|Ashburton
North Otago \|Highlanders \|Oamaru
Poverty Bay \|Hurricanes \|Gisborne
South Canterbury \|Crusaders \|Timaru
Thames Valley \|Chiefs \|Paeroa
Wairarapa Bush \|Hurricanes \|Masterton
Wanganui \|Hurricanes \|Wanganui
West Coast \|Crusaders \|Greymouth

class="wikitable sortable"

Team

! Super Rugby partner

! Hometown

Standings

Following the round-eight-week regular season South Canterbury was the top qualifier with 36 points from winning seven games, after losing their first game to Buller.{{Cite web|url=https://rugbyheartland.co.nz/wp/heartland-2017-draw/|title=Heartland 2017 Draw - RUGBY HEARTLAND|date=June 30, 2017|website=rugbyheartland.co.nz}}

abbr="Position" style="width:20px"\|{{abbr\|2=Position\|Pos.}} ! style="width:17%"\|Team ! abbr="Played" style="width:25px"\|{{abbr\|2=Played\|Pld}} ! abbr="Won" style="width:20px"\|{{abbr\|2=Wins\|W}} ! abbr="Drawn" style="width:20px"\|{{abbr\|2=Draws\|D}} ! abbr="Lost" style="width:20px"\|{{abbr\|2=Losses\|L}} ! abbr="Points for" style="width:30px"\|{{abbr\|2=Points for\|PF}} ! abbr="Points against" style="width:30px"\|{{abbr\|2=Points against\|PA}} ! abbr="Points difference" style="width:30px"\|{{abbr\|2=Points difference\|PD}} ! abbr="Bonus Points 1" style="width:28px"\|{{abbr\|2=Try bonus (4 or more tries)\|TB}} ! abbr="Bonus Points 2" style="width:28px"\|{{abbr\|2=Losing bonus (margin of 8 points or less)\|LB}} ! abbr="Points" style="width:25px"\|{{abbr\|2=Points\|Pts}}
class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"
style="background:#cfc" \|1	style="text-align:left"\|South Canterbury \|8	7	0	1	273	190	+83	7	1	36
style="background:#cfc" \|2	style="text-align:left"\|Horowhenua-Kapiti \|8	7	0	1	227	107	+120	3	1	32
style="background:#cfc" \|3	style="text-align:left"\|Buller \|8	6	0	2	250	203	+47	3	1	28
style="background:#cfc" \|4	style="text-align:left"\|Wanganui \|8	5	0	3	279	125	+154	3	3	26
style="background:#ccf" \|5	style="text-align:left"\|Mid Canterbury \|8	5	0	3	275	224	+51	2	1	26
style="background:#ccf" \|6	style="text-align:left"\|West Coast \|8	5	0	3	209	201	+8	5	1	26
style="background:#ccf" \|7	style="text-align:left"\|North Otago \|8	4	0	4	235	178	+57	5	4	25
style="background:#ccf" \|8	style="text-align:left"\|Poverty Bay \|8	4	0	4	185	229	−44	4	0	20
9	style="text-align:left"\|Thames Valley \|8	3	0	5	209	174	+35	4	4	20
10	style="text-align:left"\|King Country \|8	1	0	7	206	323	−117	5	3	12
11	style="text-align:left"\|Wairarapa Bush \|8	1	0	7	174	313	−139	4	2	10
12	style="text-align:left"\|East Coast \|8	0	0	8	98	353	−255	0	0	0

class="wikitable"
style="width:10px; background:#cfc"\|	Meads Cup qualification
style="width:10px; background:#ccf"\|	Lochore Cup qualification

{{smalldiv|1=

In the case of a two-team tie on points the ranking of teams is decided by:

(1) the winner of the round robin match between the two provinces; then
(2) highest point difference; then
(3) most tries scored; then
(4) a coin toss.

In the case of a three-team or more tie on points the ranking of teams is decided by:

(1) the province with the most wins against other tied provinces in the Round Robin; then
(2) if two teams remain tied they shall be ranked according to the criteria listed above, but if more than two teams remain tied, they shall be ranked according to criteria (2) to (4) only.}}

Finals

=Meads Cup=

Although they qualified 4th, Wanganui won their Meads Cup semi-final away to South Canterbury{{Cite web|url=https://www.clubrugby.co.nz/national/story.php?id=2649|title=Finalists confirmed in NPC and Heartland competitions|website=Club Rugby}} and followed up with a win over Horowhenua-Kapiti at Levin.

{{4TeamBracket

|RD1=Meads Cup semi-finals

|RD2=Meads Cup final

|RD1-seed1=2

|RD1-team1=Horowhenua-Kapiti

|RD1-score1=18

|RD1-seed2=3

|RD1-team2=Buller

|RD1-score2=17

|RD1-seed3=4

|RD1-team3=Wanganui

|RD1-score3=29

|RD1-seed4=1

|RD1-team4=South Canterbury

|RD1-score4=24

|RD2-seed1=2

|RD2-team1=Horowhenua-Kapiti

|RD2-score1=14

|RD2-seed2=4

|RD2-team2=Wanganui

|RD2-score2=30

}}

=Lochore Cup=

Mid Canterbury who finished the regular season fifth and therefore top qualifier for the Lochore Cup accounted for Poverty Bay in their semi-final and West Coast in the final by comfortable points margins.

{{4TeamBracket

|RD1=Lochore Cup semi-finals

|RD2=Lochore Cup final

|RD1-seed1=1

|RD1-team1=Mid Canterbury

|RD1-score1=56

|RD1-seed2=4

|RD1-team2=Poverty Bay

|RD1-score2=22

|RD1-seed3=2

|RD1-team3=West Coast

|RD1-score3=24

|RD1-seed4=3

|RD1-team4=North Otago

|RD1-score4=14

|RD2-seed1=1

|RD2-team1=Mid Canterbury

|RD2-score1=47

|RD2-seed2=2

|RD2-team2=West Coast

|RD2-score2=15

}}

References

External links

[http://www.heartlandchampionship.co.nz/ Official website of the Heartland Championship]

Category:Heartland Championship

Category:2017 in New Zealand rugby union

Heartland

2017 Heartland Championship

Teams

Standings

Finals

=Meads Cup=

=Lochore Cup=

See also

References

External links