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The ITM Cup is a New Zealand domestic rugby union competition, having spot from late August via Oct (or the very first week of November). It was launched in 2006 with fourteen groups, soon after the Nationwide Provincial Championship (NPC) was split into two separate competitions. The other 12 unions from the NPC now compete in the amateur Heartland Championship. From its inception by way of the 2009 period, it was sponsored by Air New Zealand, the national airline and flag provider of New Zealand, and called the Air New Zealand Cup. New Zealand also has five groups in Tremendous Rugby, an elite opposition which also entails sides from Australia and South Africa.

In March 2010 it was declared that the Air New Zealand Cup would be renamed the ITM Cup with the addition of building supplies cooperative ITM (Unbiased Timber Merchants) as the key sponsor. The alter arrived because Air New Zealand chose to concentrate their rugby sponsorship on the country's nationwide group, the All Blacks.

The 2006 reorganisation of New Zealand provincial rugby replaced the NPC's previous a few-division set up with two unique competitions. This differs from the unique two-division setup used in the NPC from its generation in 1976 to 1984 in two crucial methods. 1st, the two existing competitions are nationwide, while the original NPC Division Two was break up on a North Island/South Island foundation. Next, the NZRU ruled that there would initially be no promotion or relegation in between the Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship--a characteristic that had constantly been existing in the previous NPC. watch rugby online

Also, the quantity of teams was diminished to 26, as the Marlborough and Nelson Bays unions merged to type the new Tasman union.

The 2006 enlargement of the Super 12 and Tri Nations Series had a main impact on the Air New Zealand Cup. This growth produced the Super 14, adding two extra fixtures to that competitors, and also extra two more Tri-Nations matches for the All Blacks, at the very least in non-World Cup many years. Due to the fact of these modifications, it was intended for gamers in the All Blacks selection pool to make only restricted appearances in the Air New Zealand Cup.

The 2009 Air New Zealand Cup observed a various framework than previous a long time, right after a tiny pre-period the Round-Robin ran for thirteen months with every single crew dealing with each other after. The best 4 teams advanced to the semi-finals and the winners from every semi competed for the title in the Grand Closing.

To determine which four groups went by means of to the semi-finals the Rugby Union Bonus Factors Technique was utilised.

The Rugby Union Factors Program:

4 details for a acquire 2 details for a draw one level for scoring four attempts one level for shedding by 7 points or considerably less

So the most factors a winning crew can obtain is 5 and the most a getting rid of team can acquire is two factors. Semi-Finals are played between 4 groups, the teams are seeded one to 4 and the two greatest seeded groups enjoy at residence from the two lowest seeded groups meaning one plays four and 2 performs three. The greatest seed nonetheless remaining in the grand last played at property.