The North vs South match, sometimes known as the Interisland match was a longstanding rugby union fixture in New Zealand between the representatives of the North Island and the South Island.
The first match was played on 30 June 1897 at Wellington’s Athletic Park, and the match became an annual fixture from 1902. Matches ceased during World War I from 1915-1918, but during World War II only the 1940, 1941 and 1942 matches were cancelled, with competition resuming in 1943. The last annual match was played in 1995.
In 2012, a one-off match at Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium in 2012 to help fundraise for the financially troubled Otago Rugby Football Union, which was won by the South 32-24.
A second one-off match is scheduled to be held on August 29, 2020.
Most early matches were played in one of the four main cities (Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton in the North Island, Christchurch in the South Island), but from 1970 onwards the fixture was rotated around a number of provincial centres
Here are our potential line ups for the two sides:
North Island Rugby :
1. Ofa Tuungafasi (Auckland)
2. Dane Coles (Wellington)
3. Angus Ta’avao (Auckland)
4. Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland)
5. Vaea Fifita (Wellington)
6. Ardie Savea (Wellington)
7. Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty)
8. Hoskins Sotutu (Auckland)
9. Aaron Smith (Manawatu)
10. Beauden Barrett (Taranaki)
11. Rieko Ioane (Auckland)
12. Ngani Laumape (Manawatu)
13. Anton Lienert-Brown (Waikato)
14. Sevu Reece (Waikato)
15. Damian McKenzie (Waikato).
Replacements: Asafo Aumua (Wellington), Aidan Ross (Bay of Plenty), Alex Fidow (Wellington), Tom Robinson (Northland), Luke Jacobson (Waikato), TJ Perenara (Wellington), Otere Black (Manawatu), Vince Aso (Auckland)
South Island Rugby :
1. Joe Moody (Canterbury)
2. Codie Taylor (Canterbury)
3. Nepo Laulala (Canterbury)
4. Sam Whitelock (Canterbury)
5. Scott Barrett (Canterbury)
6. Cullen Grace (Canterbury)
7. Dillon Hunt (Otago)
8. Gareth Evans (Hawke’s Bay)
9. Brad Weber (Otago)
10. Richie Mo’unga (Canterbury)
11. George Bridge (Canterbury)
12. Jack Goodhue (Canterbury)
13. Braydon Ennor (Canterbury)
14. Will Jordan (Canterbury)
15. Jordie Barrett (Canterbury)
Replacements: Liam Coltman (Otago), Daniel Lienert-Brown (Canterbury), Tyrel Lomax (Tasman), Shannon Frizell (Tasman), Tom Christie (Canterbury), Mitchell Drummond (Canterbury), David Havili (Tasman), Jona Nareki (Otago).
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