ITM Cup 2013 season launched |

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Fourteen teams, 11 weeks, 76 matches, two trophies up for grabs and the traditions of the ‘log o’ wood’ – ITM Cup is back with the 2013 season set to kick off in nine days’ time.

The 2013 ITM Cup season was officially launched today at a special event in Auckland featuring players from each of the 14 ITM Cup teams – Northland, North Harbour, Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Manawatu, Wellington, Tasman, Canterbury, Otago and Southland.New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Steve Tew said ITM Cup continues to be a competition that showcases the colour and pride of provincial rugby across New Zealand.

“The ITM Cup continues to hold pride of place up and down the country, where rugby fans wear their provincial union colours proudly.

“The ITM Cup represents the best of new and old rivalries and the traditions of the Ranfurly Shield. The Provincial Unions are well into their season preparations and I know they are eager to get stuck into their campaigns for 2013. The action starts right from Week One which sees everything from provincial derby matches to a Ranfurly Shield Challenge.

“We’re excited about the start of the new season, and we’re grateful to our partner ITM for their continued support of the competition.”

The launch was held today at Auckland’s UNITEC with building apprentices from the Industry Training Association Building.

ITM CEO Gordon Buswell said: “ITM has been proud to be the title sponsor for this competition for the past three years and we’re proud to be behind it again in 2013. For us the ITM Cup launch combines two areas of passion – our support for the national provincial championship and every one of our 93 stores from Mangonui in the north to Invercargill in the south, will be waving the flag for their province and our support for the Industry Training Association Building (iTABS) organisation that provides a carpentry qualification with a mix of polytechnic based and practical on the job training,
producing skilled builders for the future.

In kicking off the season, New Zealand Rugby also confirmed that the new global scrum law changing the scrum engagement will be in use across all domestic competitions – ITM Cup, Pink Batts Heartland Championship and the Women’s Provincial Championship – this season.

Scrum calls will change to “crouch, bind, set” requiring the props to bind before the scrum sets. The law will be used in the Investec Rugby Championship and will be in effect across all New Zealand rugby next year.

This season’s ITM Cup opens with last year’s ITM Cup Championship winners Counties Manukau hosting the Wellington Lions at ECOLight Stadium on Thursday 15 August.

It’s the first of seven matches in Week One of the 11-week competition.

Premiership Champions Canterbury under new coach Scott Robertson will open their campaign in Week One taking on Taranaki while the Hawke’s Bay Magpies host provincial neighbours the Manawatu Turbos as they play for the Kel Tremain Memorial trophy. In the South, the Southland Stags host the Tasman Makos, and the season’s first Ranfurly Shield challenge will see the Northland Taniwha have the first tilt at wrestling the ‘log o wood’ off summer guardians the Waikato Mooloos, this year being coached by Johnny Walters.

The first week’s action closes out with the traditional Battle of the Bridge between Auckland and North Harbour with the two Auckland-based teams playing for the Brian Purdy Memorial Trophy and the Newtalk 1ZB Trans Harbour Trophy followed by Otago taking on the Bay of Plenty Steamers in Dunedin.

The ITM Cup Championship Final – to decide the promotion and relegation teams – will be played on Friday 25 October. The ITM Cup Premiership Final will be played on Saturday 26 October, immediately after the Final of the 2013 Women’s Provincial Championship Final.

Other highlights coming up in ITM Cup 2013

Ranfurly Shield Matches (subject to the Shield not changing hands):
Week 1 Waikato v Northland    Saturday 17 August 7.35pm
Week 2 Waikato v Otago    Friday 23 August 8.05pm
Week 5 Waikato v Auckland    Saturday 14 September 2.35pm
Week 7 Waikato v Wellington   Friday 27 September 7.35pm
Week 9 Waikato v Taranaki    Saturday 12 October 7.35pm

Replay of 2012 ITM Cup Final
Week 7 Auckland v Canterbury Saturday 28 September 7.35pm

Derby Matches / Inter Union Trophies and special occasions

Week 1:
Hawke’s Bay v Manawatu, Saturday 17 August 2.35pm (Kel Tremain Memorial Trophy)
Auckland v North Harbour, Sunday 18 August 2.35pm (Brian Purdy Battle of the Bridge Memorial Battle of the Bridge Trophy & the Newstalk 1ZB Trans Harbour Trophy)

Week 2:
Taranaki v Wellington, Friday 23 August 6.05pm (John F Henning Trophy)
North Harbour v Counties Manukau, Thursday 22 August 7.35pm (The Lion Red Challenge Cup)
Tasman v Canterbury, Saturday 24 August 2.35pm
Blenheim to commemorate 40 years since Marlborough took the Shield off Canterbury and Marlborough’s 125th year as a Union.

Week 3:
Auckland v Bay of Plenty, Saturday 31 August 2.35pm (John Drake Memorial Trophy)
North Harbour v Northland, Saturday 31 August 5.35pm
Wellington v Manawatu, Sunday 01 September 2.35pm (Coronation Cup)

Week 4:
Auckland v Counties Manukau, Wednesday 4 September 7.35pm
Manawatu v North Harbour Sunday 8th September 2.35pm
Curtain raiser is the New Zealand Secondary Schools Girls 1st XV Rugby Final – representatives from schools in the Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, and Southern (combination of Crusaders and Highlanders) franchises (teams to be determined in the weeks preceding). Secondary School 1st XV National Champions will be crowned at the conclusion of this final

Week 5:
Waikato v Auckland, Saturday 14 September 2.35pm (Stan Thomas Trophy)
Canterbury v Otago, Saturday 14 September 4.35pm (Payne Trophy)

Week 6:
Auckland v Northland, Thursday 19 September 7.35pm
Counties Manukau v Waikato, Saturday 21 September 2.35pm
Wellington v Canterbury, Saturday 21 September 5.35pm (Harry Saundercock Trophy)
Taranaki v Bay of Plenty, Saturday 21 September 7.35pm (Peter Burke Trophy)
Taranaki v Otago Women play as Curtain Raiser to Taranaki v BOP ITM Cup match

Week 7:
Otago v Southland, Saturday 28 September 2.35pm (Donald Stuart Memorial Shield)
Manawatu v Taranaki, Saturday 28 September 5.35pm
Auckland v Canterbury, Saturday 28 September 7.35pm (Supporters’ Club Cup)

Week 8:
Bay of Plenty v Waikato, Saturday 05 October 2.35pm
Wellington v Auckland, Saturday 05 October 7.35pm (Fred Lucas Memorial Trophy)

Week 9:
Hawke’s Bay v Wellington, Thursday 10 October 7.35pm
Otago v Auckland, Sunday 13 October 2.35pm (Lindsay Colling Memorial Trophy)
North Harbour v Canterbury, Saturday 12 October 2.35pm (The Kevin Gimblett Memorial Trophy)
Waikato v Taranaki, Saturday 12 October 7.35pm (Ryan Wheeler Memorial Trophy) Waikato v Taranaki Women play as curtain raiser to ITM Cup match