|
The 1976 NPC, the Radio New Zealand National Provincial Championship, was the first year of the provincial rugby championship in New Zealand. There were 3 Divisions, a Division 1 with 7 North Island teams and 4 South Island teams, a Division 2 (NI) with 9 teams and a Division 2 (SI) with 6 teams. The bottom placed NI team in Division 1 was relegated, replaced by the winner of Division 2 (NI). The bottom SI team in Division 1 played off against the winner of Division 2 (SI). This ensured that there would always be 4 SI teams in Division 1. |
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | Points |
| Bay Of Plenty | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 195 | 112 | 17 |
| Manawatu | 10 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 142 | 104 | 15 |
| Auckland | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 160 | 133 | 13 |
| Canterbury | 10 | 6 | 4 | 153 | 118 | 12 | |
| Counties | 10 | 6 | 4 | 118 | 107 | 12 | |
| Wellington | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 165 | 122 | 11 |
| Otago | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 106 | 148 | 10 |
| Hawkes Bay | 10 | 4 | 6 | 125 | 130 | 8 | |
| Marlborough | 10 | 3 | 7 | 146 | 192 | 6 | |
| Southland | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 105 | 161 | 5 |
| North Auckland | 10 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 76 | 164 | 1 |
|
May 12 May 19 June 7 June 16 June 26 July 3 July 8 July 10 July 13 July 17 July 20 July 24 July 27 July 31 August 4 August 7 August 11 August 14 August 17 August 18 August 21 August 24 August 28 September 1 September 4 September 8 September 12 September 13 September 15 September 16 September 18 September 22 September 25 |
Hawke's Bay Canterbury Manawatu Counties North Auckland Counties Bay Of Plenty Manawatu Wellington Marlborough Southland Otago Marlborough Hawke's Bay Counties Marlborough Wellington Manawatu Southland Otago Manawatu Southland North Auckland Bay Of Plenty Auckland Auckland Canterbury Bay Of Plenty Counties North Auckland Auckland Hawke's Bay Otago Wellington Southland Auckland Hawke's Bay Canterbury Marlborough North Auckland North Auckland Canterbury Manawatu Wellington Bay Of Plenty Counties Southland Auckland Otago Marlborough Bay Of Plenty Otago Canterbury Wellington Hawke's Bay |
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v |
Auckland Marlborough Wellington Auckland Auckland Wellington Counties North Auckland North Auckland North Auckland Manawatu Manawatu Auckland Marlborough Marlborough Bay Of Plenty Bay of Plenty Bay Of Plenty Otago Hawke's Bay Canterbury Hawke's Bay Canterbury Canterbury Southland Manawatu Hawke's Bay Southland Manawatu Southland Bay Of Plenty North Auckland Counties Canterbury Counties Otago Wellington Counties Southland Bay Of Plenty Otago Southland Hawke's Bay Auckland Otago North Auckland Wellington Canterbury Wellington Manawatu Hawke's Bay Marlborough Otago Marlborough Counties |
Napier Christchurch Palmerston North Pukekohe Whangarei Pukekohe Rotorua Palmerston North Wellington Blenheim Invercargill Dunedin Blenheim Hastings Pukekohe Blenheim Wellington Palmerston North Invercargill Dunedin Palmerston North Invercargill Whangarei Tauranga Auckland Auckland Christchurch Whakatane Pukekohe Whangarei Auckland Napier Dunedin Wellington Invercargill Auckland Hastings Christchurch Blenheim Whangarei Whangarei Christchurch Palmerston North Wellington Rotorua Pukekohe Invercargill Auckland Dunedin Blenheim Rotorua Dunedin Christchurch Wellington Napier |
7 23 23 12 3 4 9 19 13 24 9 0 15 33 10 13 18 9 9 6 15 6 13 12 9 10 13 27 12 9 28 25 16 14 10 16 13 6 28 3 3 16 15 9 19 15 16 19 7 13 10 20 34 16 6 |
10 9 13 19 12 15 10 6 0 17 23 0 25 10 6 24 18 28 10 18 10 7 21 6 9 12 6 12 14 15 31 16 6 15 19 26 25 11 12 17 3 7 3 12 6 6 13 9 29 12 7 14 12 14 19 |
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | Points |
| Taranaki | 8 | 8 | 0 | 209 | 49 | 16 | |
| Wanganui | 8 | 7 | 1 | 216 | 87 | 14 | |
| King Country | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 110 | 144 | 9 |
| Waikato | 8 | 4 | 4 | 173 | 76 | 8 | |
| Wairarapa Bush | 8 | 4 | 4 | 98 | 107 | 8 | |
| Poverty Bay | 8 | 4 | 4 | 92 | 115 | 8 | |
| East Coast | 8 | 2 | 6 | 41 | 214 | 4 | |
| Thames Valley | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 70 | 128 | 3 |
| Horowhenua | 8 | 1 | 7 | 94 | 183 | 2 | |
|
May 8 June 7 June 16 June 19 June 26 July 3 July 14 July 24 July 28 July 31 August 7 August 10 August 12 August 14 August 17 August 18 August 19 August 21 August 26 August 28 September 4 September 7 September 8 September 11 September 15 September 16 September 18 |
Horowhenua Wanganui Waikato Wanganui Thames Valley East Coast Thames Valley Wanganui King Country Waikato Horowhenua Wairarapa Bush Poverty Bay Wairarapa Bush Taranaki Thames Valley King Country East Coast Poverty Bay King Country Taranaki East Coast Poverty Bay Horowhenua Wanganui Poverty Bay Taranki East Coast King Country Waikato Wairarapa Bush Horowhenua Thames Valley Wairarapa Bush Waikato King Country |
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v |
East Coast Taranaki Thames Valley Horowhenua East Coast Poverty Bay King Country King Country Wairarapa Bush Wairarapa Bush Thames Valley Thames Valley Thames Valley East Coast King Country Wanganui Poverty Bay Wanganui Wanganui Waikato Horowhenua Taranki Taranaki Wairarapa Bush Waikato Waikato Wairarapa Bush Waikato Horowhenua Horowhenua Poverty Bay Poverty Bay Taranaki Wanganui Taranaki East Coast |
Levin Wanganui Hamilton Wanganui Waihi Tolaga Bay Te Aroha Wanganui Taumarunui Hamilton Levin Masterton Gisborne Pahiatua New Plymouth Paeroa Otorohanga Ruatoria Gisborne Taumarunui New Plymouth Ruatoria Gisborne Levin Wanganui Gisborne New Plymouth Ruatoria Te Kuiti Hamilton Masterton Levin Waihi Masterton Hamilton Otorohonga |
11 12 23 45 4 0 9 28 6 7 11 20 13 18 16 12 9 3 7 13 6 0 6 12 21 15 42 0 29 33 3 23 9 13 3 25 |
12 32 3 4 12 22 9 9 3 8 16 11 6 4 6 20 8 54 17 47 3 41 43 23 7 14 10 39 23 7 6 15 20 19 9 10 |
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | Points |
| South Canterbury | 5 | 4 | 1 | 103 | 39 | 8 | |
| Buller | 5 | 3 | 2 | 64 | 40 | 6 | |
| Nelson Bays | 5 | 3 | 2 | 72 | 77 | 6 | |
| Mid Canterbury | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 50 | 55 | 5 |
| West Coast | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 59 | 63 | 3 |
| North Otago | 5 | 1 | 4 | 41 | 115 | 2 | |
|
June 7 July 17 July 21 July 24 July 31 August 7 August 14 August 17 August 21 August 24 September 4 September 11 September 18 |
Buller Nelson Bays Buller West Coast West Coast Nelson Bays Mid Canterbury South Canterbury North Otago Buller Nelson Bays Mid Canterbury Neslon Bays South Canterbury North Otago |
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v |
Nelson Bays Mid Canterbury Mid Canterbury Mid Canterbury Buller North Otago North Otago West Coast West Coast South Canterbury South Canterbury South Canterbury West Coast North Otago Buller |
Westport Nelson Westport Hokitika Greymouth Motueka Ashburton Timaru Oamaru Westport Nelson Ashburton Nelson Timaru Oamaru |
9 17 6 9 6 24 17 15 16 14 10 3 7 48 6 |
14 14 7 9 16 3 13 9 7 7 23 10 28 3 19 |
South Canterbury, as winners of Division 2 (SI) played against the bottom placed SI team in Division 1, Southland, in a promotion/relegation match.
South Canterbury 11 v Southland 24
Southland therefore remained in Division 1.