South Island rugby Archives - NZ Rugby North vs South Live

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).

The North Island-South Island rugby match has been confirmed for August 29 at Eden Park.

The All Blacks assistant coaches have been appointed to mentor the teams.

John Plumtree and Scott McLeod will take charge of the North Island while the South will be coached by Greg Feek and Brad Mooar.

New Zealand Rugby has judged players will be eligible for an island based on the first province they played first class rugby for.

The eligibility ruling means the likes of Northland’s Jack Goodhue and Taranaki’s Scott and Jordie Barrett will instead play for the South Island, having made their provincial debuts for Canterbury, while Christchurch’s Anton Lienert-Brown and Invercargill’s Damian McKenzie will play for the North Island as they both first played for Waikato.

The last inter-island match was in 1996.

Listen to Blues player James Parsons discuss the match and the rest of the week’s rugby news with D’Arcy Waldegrave above

Potential North v South Island Teams | North vs South rugby union match

North v South rugby match confirmed