Rugby: Mid-week matches again for ITM Cup

Mid-week matches will remain on the agenda for next year's ITM Cup, with the 10-round competition to be played over eight weeks from August.

Provincial unions picked their crossover matches via web-conference yesterday, and it was confirmed teams would play two mid-week matches next year, although the full draw will not be finalised until some time within the next two months.

Mid-week games were brought in to this year's condensed competition, which proved a surprising hit with players and administrators.

One of the four crossover matches is automatically set based on seeding at the end of this year's ITM Cup, while the other three offer the opportunity to set up local derbies or draw a high-profile team to meet.

Teams ranked first to seventh at the end of the 2011 season will play in the ITM Cup premiership next year, while teams ranked eighth to 14th will play in the championship.

All provinces will play every other team within their premiership or championship division, plus their four crossover matches, which carry full competition points.

After finishing bottom of the premiership, the Southland Stags move down to the championship for next year, swapping with this year's championship winner, Hawkes Bay.

 

ITM Cup
Crossover games

• Automatic crossover games (as determined by 2011 seeding (home games for championship teams,with seedings in brackets), Tasman v Canterbury (14 v 1), North Harbour v Waikato (13 v 2), Northland v Taranaki (12 v 3), Counties Manukau v Bay of Plenty (11 v 4), Otago v Auckland (10 v 5), Manawatu v Wellington (9 v 6), Southland v Hawkes Bay (8 v 7).

• First round of picks: (Championship teams picked a Premiership team, in reverse seeding order (eg, 14 to 8), for a home match), Tasman (14) v Bay of Plenty, North Harbour (13) v Auckland, Northland (12) v Canterbury, Counties Manukau (11) v Waikato, Otago (10) v Wellington, Manawatu (9) v Hawkes Bay, Southland (8) v Taranaki.

• Second round of picks: (Premiership teams picked a Championship team, in seeding order (eg, 1 to 7), for a home match), (1) Canterbury v North Harbour, (2) Waikato v Northland, (3) Taranaki v Tasman, (4) Bay of Plenty v Otago, (5) Auckland v Manawatu, (6) Wellington v Southland, (7) Hawke's Bay v Counties Manukau.

• Third round of picks: (Championship teams picked a Premiership team, in seeding order (eg, 8 to 14), for an away match), Canterbury v Southland (8), Taranaki v Manawatu (9), Hawke's Bay v Otago (10), Auckland v Counties Manukau (11), Bay of Plenty v Northland (12), Wellington v North Harbour (13), Waikato v Tasman (14).