Horowhenua-Kapiti Rugby Football Union

Horowhenua-Kapiti
Club information
Full nameHorowhenua-Kapiti Rugby Football Union Inc.
Colours    Red, White, Blue
Founded1893
WebsiteOfficial Website
Current details
Ground(s)
CompetitionHeartland Championship

The Horowhenua-Kapiti Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Horowhenua and Kāpiti Coast districts in the Manawatū-Whanganui and Wellington regions. The union was established in 1893 as the Horowhenua Rugby Football Union and was changed to its current name of Horowhenua-Kapiti in 1997, in order to reflect the full extent of the union's districts.

Heartland Championship

Horowhenua-Kapiti currently compete in the Heartland Championship, an annual competition organised by the New Zealand Rugby Union for New Zealand's amateur unions. The team play out of Levin Domain in Horowhenua. Previously, Horowhenua-Kapiti competed in the lower divisions of the National Provincial Championship. The union won the National Provincial Championship (NPC) Third Division in 1993. In 2018 the union won their second major honour to date, winning the 2018 Lochore Cup Final against Wairarapa Bush 26–23. 2018 was also the union's 125th anniversary, 25 years after their previous title in their centenary year in 1993.

Heartland Championship Placings

A summary of Horowhenua-Kapiti's placings in the Heartland Championship is shown below:

Heartland Championship Results[1][2][3][4]
Year Pld W D L PF PA PD BP Pts Place Playoffs
Qual Semifinal Final
2006 8 2 1 5 163 257 −94 3 13 6th No —
2007 8 1 0 7 164 260 −96 2 6 12th No —
2008 8 3 2 3 234 174 +60 5 21 7th Lochore Cup Won 37–17 against Wairarapa Bush Lost 5–26 to Poverty Bay
2009 8 4 0 4 193 166 +27 3 19 5th No —
2010 8 3 0 5 167 186 −19 3 15 8th Lochore Cup Lost 14–19 to Buller —
2011 8 1 0 7 98 326 −228 1 5 12th No —
2012 8 2 0 6 124 238 −114 1 9 12th No —
2013 8 1 0 7 141 182 −41 6 10 11th No —
2014 8 5 2 1 169 121 +48 2 26 4th Meads Cup Lost 15–22 to Buller —
2015 8 4 0 4 263 261 +2 7 23 5th Lochore Cup Lost 12–57 to North Otago —
2016 8 2 1 5 224 260 −36 5 15 9th No —
2017 8 7 0 1 259 154 +105 4 32 2nd Meads Cup Won 18–17 against Buller Lost 14–30 to Wanganui
2018 8 4 0 4 246 251 -5 8 24 5th Lochore Cup Won 34–24 against Mid Canterbury Won 26–23 against Wairarapa Bush
2019 8 3 0 5 184 250 -66 5 17 9th No —
2021 8 5 0 3 214 197 17 4 24 7th No —
2022 8 4 0 4 218 298 -80 4 20 6th Lochore Cup Lost 30-37 to East Coast
2023 8 2 0 6 176 297 -121 3 11 12th No —

Ranfurly Shield History

Horowhenua-Kapiti have never held the Ranfurly Shield but had two successful challenges in 1927 when the union was amalgamated with Manawatu as Manawhenua. In 2007 Horowhenua-Kapiti recently had a challenge against North Harbour, but were outclassed throughout the match, losing 99–6.[5] Their following matches would come in 2013 when they suffered an 85–0 loss against Waikato and in 2015 when they lost to Hawke's Bay by a margin of 50–16.


18 July 2013 Waikato 85–0 Horowhenua-Kapiti Campbell Park, Morrinsville  
18:00 (NZST) Try: Whetu Douglas
Joe Webber (4)
Brendon Leonard
Dylan Collier (2)
Romana Graham
Brian Alainu'uese
Glen Robertson (2)
Hame Faiva
Con: Trent Renata (6)
Wharenui Hawera
Dylan Collier 		Report Attendance: 3,000


16 July 2015 Hawke's Bay 50–16 Horowhenua-Kapiti McLean Park, Napier  
19:35 (NZST) Try: Joseph Penitito (2)
Tony Lamborn
Shannan Chase
Tom Stanley
Mark Braidwood
Con: Tyrone Elkington-MacDonald (4)
Pen: Tyrone Elkington-MacDonald (4) 		Report Try: Sam Gardner
Con: Perry Hayman (1/1)
Pen: Perry Hayman (3) 		Referee: Paul Williams

Other teams

In addition to the Heartland Championship side, the union fields a number of age-grade and women's representative teams, including a High-Performance Unit for local club and school players.[6]

Horowhenua-Kapiti in Super Rugby

Along with Wellington, Wairarapa Bush, Wanganui, Manawatu, Hawke's Bay, Poverty Bay and East Coast, Horowhenua-Kapiti fall within the Hurricanes (formerly Wellington Hurricanes) catchment. In 2013, the union purchased a three percent stake in the company which operates the team, Hurricanes' Investment Ltd, with a $100,000 contribution.[7]

Clubs

The union currently has nine member clubs, listed below. Foxton is the oldest club in the union, having been established in 1880, however it was not a permanent affiliate of the union until 1911.[8]

  • Athletic RFC
  • College Old Boys RFC
  • Foxton RFC
  • Levin Wanderers RFC
  • Paraparaumu RFC
  • Rahui RFC
  • Shannon RFC
  • Toa RFC
  • Waikanae RFC

All Blacks

There have only been two players selected for the All Blacks while playing for Horowhenua-Kapiti: Hohepa Jacob and Joe Karam. However, Carlos Spencer played for the union between 1992 and 1993 before moving to Auckland, and Christian Cullen played for the union in 1994 before moving to Manawatu. Dane Coles and Codie Taylor played their junior rugby in Horowhenua-Kapiti making the age grade teams, while Codie Taylor also represented the Horowhenua-Kapiti sevens team.

References

  1. ^ "Standings (2006–present)". Heartland Championship. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  2. ^ "Fixtures and Results (2006–present)". Heartland Championship. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  3. ^ "Finalists found in Lochore and Meads Cups". Newshub. 23 October 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  4. ^ "2010 Lochore and Mead Cups finals wrap". Heartland Championship. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2016.
  5. ^ "Rugby: Spirited visitors have no answer". The New Zealand Herald. 15 July 2007. Retrieved 15 July 2007.
  6. ^ "High Performance Unit". Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  7. ^ "Provincial Rugby Support for Hurricanes as Horowhenua invests". The New Zealand Herald. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  8. ^ "History". Retrieved 12 July 2013.