Bulls and Whio draws confirmed

Will Johnston
Photo: LDV Photography

Hawkes Bay has been confirmed to play the Yarrows Taranaki Bulls in the historical match at Pukekura Park, while the Port Taranaki Whio will play just two home matches.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced its domestic draws across the Bunnings national provincial championship (NPC), Heartland Championship and Farah Palmer Cup this morning.

The Pukekura Park fixture is the first of five home Taranaki matches on Saturday, August 7 at 2:05pm. It will be the first time since Taranaki has played at the famous cricket ground since 1945, when Wellington beat the amber and blacks 13-9. It’s also 100-years since Taranaki and the Springboks drew nil-all.

Taranaki Rugby expects the match to be a sell-out after 2,000 tickets were pre-sold in the 4,500-capacity venue.

Other home matches will be played at Inglewood’s TET Stadium and Events Centre.

The Bulls will host Manawatu, Southland, Wellington and North Harbour in the other home matches played on Saturday or Sunday afternoons.

Taranaki’s away fixtures are against Northland, Waikato for the Ryan Wheeler Memorial Trophy, part of Waikato’s centenary celebrations, Counties Manukau, Bay of Plenty and Otago.

The NPC premiership-championship format is unchanged after a north-south pool competition was touted to combat Covid-19 financial impacts.

NZR and provincial unions voted in favour of the status quo for this season.

Semi-finals will be played between Friday, October 16-17 and finals on Friday, October 23-24 for both divisions.

Taranaki were semi-finalists last year.

The Whio will open its season on Saturday, July 24 against Manawatu in Palmerston North in the championship division. The competition starts a week earlier for the premiership teams.

Home matches are against Tasman and Hawkes Bay in Inglewood, with other away games against North Harbour and Northland with a championship quarter-final on Saturday, September 28.

The Whio’s matches against North Harbour and Northland will be televised. All NPC matches are live on Sky Sport.  

Farah Palmer semi-finals will be played on the weekend of Friday, September 3, with finals the following weekend.  

Yarrows Taranaki Bulls 2021 fixtures:

Sat Aug 7 v Hawkes Bay, Pukekura Park, 2:05pm
Sun Aug 15 v Northland, Semenoff Stadium, 4:35pm
Sat Aug 21 v Waikato, FMG Stadium Waikato, 4:35pm
Sun Aug 29 v Manawatu, TET Stadium, 2:05pm
Sun Sept 5 v Counties Manukau, Navigation Homes Stadium, 2:05pm
Sat 11 Sept v Southland, TET Stadium, 2:05pm
Sat 18 Sept v Wellington, TET Stadium, 2:05pm
Sun 26 Sept v Bay of Plenty, Tauranga Domain, 2:05pm
Sun 3 Oct v North Harbour, TET Stadium, 2:05pm
Sat 9 Oct v Otago, Forsyth Barr Stadium, 7:05pm
SF: Fri 16-17 Oct
F: Friday 23-24 Oct

 Port Taranaki Whio 2021 fixtures:

Sat 24 Jul v Manawatu, CET Arena, 2:05pm
Sat 31 Jul v Tasman, TET Stadium, 12:05pm
Sun 8 Aug v North Harbour, QBE Stadium, 12:05pm*
Sun 15 Aug v Northland, Semenoff Stadium, 2:35pm*
Sat 21 Aug v Hawkes Bay, TET Stadium, 1:05pm
QF: Sat 28 Aug
F Fri 10-12 Sept

*televised match