ALL BLACKS CHASING WORLD CUP GLORY AND PROVINCIAL PRIDE ON THE LINE IN 2023

by PETER WHITE

It is my pleasure to welcome you to our latest rugby season preview magazine. RUGBY 2023 is the one-stop information site for rugby fans.

This year we will focus on the Bunnings Warehouse NPC that begins on Friday, August 4 and the men’s Rugby World Cup, which kicks off with a hugely anticipated clash between France and the All Blacks in Paris on September 9. We preview each of the 14 teams contesting the NPC, with the draw on pages 24–25. After years of tinkering with the format, this year’s NPC will finally have all 14 teams represented in one points table, with the top-eight teams progressing to the play-offs.

This change is bound to be warmly received by rugby fans the length and breadth of Aotearoa who have been frustrated by the changes over the years.

A return to popular family friendly kick-off times is another positive change. This season will see 46 of the 77 games being played at afternoon and early evening times. The opening match is Tasman hosting Otago in Nelson on Friday, August 4. The NPC final is scheduled for the weekend of October 20.

The women’s Bunnings Warehouse Farah Palmer Cup competition began earlier this month and is already several rounds in. The popular competition features New Zealand’s top 13 provincial sides, and the finals will be played on September 10.

Last year, Canterbury beat Auckland 41–14 in the Premiership final and Hawke's Bay won their first Championship title after beating Otago 24–20. Find the full draw on page 26.

The men’s Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship kicks off on August 12 and concludes on the weekend of October 14–15. South Canterbury will be after its third consecutive Meads Cup title, while Ngāti Porou East Coast triumphed in the Lochore Cup last season. The draw is on page 28.

But undoubtedly, the Rugby World Cup is the major event of the year. The Rugby World Cup final is on October 28 in Paris. Will the All Blacks be able to add to their four titles or will their hope for glory end early?

The All Blacks have started the Rugby Championship in outstanding form, beating Argentina in Mendoza by 41–12, and South Africa in Auckland by 35–20.

Hopefully there was another victory in the clash with Australia in Melbourne, the first of two Bledisloe Cup tests, which was played after publication deadline.

There has been plenty of consternation about the Rugby World Cup seedings. The draw took place in December 2020 and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no Test matches after the 2019 Rugby World Cup were considered.

The set-up of the 2023 pools means that only two of Ireland, France, New Zealand and South Africa can reach the semi-finals. So, two of the big guns will be knocked out in the quarter-finals.

On the other side of the draw, England and Australia will be licking their lips in anticipation of an easier path to the semi-finals.

International rugby has never been more even. The gap between the top-tier nations and those bubbling just below has closed dramatically. The days of 100-point blow-outs are surely over in World Cups, with the sport developing quickly in areas like South America, which has three teams qualified for the first time.

The new eligibility laws that came into effect in 2021 will have a major impact in France for the tier-two nations.

A player who previously represented a tier-one nation can now represent another team if they can prove they, their parents or grandparents were born in the new country, and have observed a three-year stand-down period.

Tonga are the most fortunate recipients of the change with five former All Blacks and two former Wallabies greatly strengthening their squad. Keep your copy of Rugby 2023 close by for all the information you need. It is going to be a memorable rugby year.

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