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The ITM Cup is a New Zealand domestic rugby union competitiveness, taking spot from late August via October (or the initial week of November). It was started in 2006 with 14 teams, soon after the National Provincial Championship (NPC) was split into two different competitions. The other twelve unions from the NPC now contend in the amateur Heartland Championship. From its inception through the 2009 time, it was sponsored by Air New Zealand, the countrywide airline and flag carrier of New Zealand, and referred to as the Air New Zealand Cup. New Zealand also has 5 teams in Super Rugby, an elite competitors which also involves sides from Australia and South Africa.

In March 2010 it was introduced that the Air New Zealand Cup would be renamed the ITM Cup with the addition of constructing supplies cooperative ITM (Unbiased Timber Merchants) as the major sponsor. The change came due to the fact Air New Zealand selected to focus their rugby sponsorship on the country's nationwide team, the All Blacks.

The 2006 reorganisation of New Zealand provincial rugby changed the NPC's former a few-division setup with two distinctive competitions. This differs from the unique two-division setup utilized in the NPC from its generation in 1976 to 1984 in two key techniques. First, the two current competitions are nationwide, although the first NPC Division Two was split on a North Island/South Island foundation. Second, the NZRU ruled that there would initially be no promotion or relegation amongst the Air New Zealand Cup and Heartland Championship--a function that had usually been current in the previous NPC. watch rugby online

Also, the amount of groups was lowered to 26, as the Marlborough and Nelson Bays unions merged to kind the new Tasman union.

The 2006 growth of the Super twelve and Tri Nations Collection had a main impact on the Air New Zealand Cup. This enlargement developed the Tremendous fourteen, incorporating two added fixtures to that competitiveness, and also extra two much more Tri-Nations matches for the All Blacks, at least in non-Globe Cup a long time. Simply because of these modifications, it was supposed for gamers in the All Blacks assortment pool to make only constrained appearances in the Air New Zealand Cup.

The 2009 Air New Zealand Cup observed a various composition than prior several years, after a little pre-season the Spherical-Robin ran for thirteen months with every single group dealing with each and every other after. The top 4 teams superior to the semi-finals and the winners from each and every semi competed for the title in the Grand Closing.

To choose which four groups went via to the semi-finals the Rugby Union Bonus Points Method was used.

The Rugby Union Details System:

four points for a get 2 factors for a draw one position for scoring four tries 1 stage for getting rid of by seven factors or less

So the most points a successful group can obtain is five and the most a dropping staff can receive is two factors. Semi-Finals are performed in between four teams, the groups are seeded 1 to four and the two greatest seeded groups play at home towards the two most affordable seeded groups that means 1 performs 4 and two plays 3. The highest seed even now remaining in the grand last played at property.