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The 1978 NPC, the Radio New Zealand National Provincial Championship, was the third 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 |
| Wellington | 10 | 8 | 2 | 172 | 111 | 16 | |
| Counties | 10 | 7 | 3 | 167 | 110 | 14 | |
| Canterbury | 10 | 6 | 4 | 152 | 144 | 12 | |
| Auckland | 10 | 6 | 4 | 123 | 100 | 12 | |
| North Auckland | 10 | 6 | 4 | 129 | 137 | 12 | |
| Manawatu | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 141 | 122 | 11 |
| Taranaki | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 156 | 129 | 10 |
| Southland | 10 | 5 | 65 | 114 | 101 | 10 | |
| Otago | 10 | 3 | 76 | 1 | 115 | 164 | 7 |
| South Canterbury | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 92 | 150 | 5 |
| Hawke's Bay | 10 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 68 | 161 | 1 |
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June 5 June 10 June 14 June 21 June 24 July 1 July 5 July 8 July 15 July 29 August 5 August 12 August 15 August 16 August 19 August 23 August 26 August 27 August 30 September 2 September 5 September 6 September 10 September 12 September 13 September 16 September 20 September 23 September 24 September 27 September 30 |
Counties Manawatu Hawke's Bay Counties Auckland South Canterbury Otago Southland South Canterbury North Auckland Southland Canterbury Canterbury North Auckland Otago South Canterbury Southland Otago Taranaki Southland South Canterbury Wellington Taranaki South Canterbury Southland North Auckland Auckland Otago Hawke's Bay Manawatu Canterbury Wellington Wellington Canterbury Hawke's Bay Taranaki Manawatu Auckland Counties Taranaki Auckland Manawatu North Auckland Wellington Counties North Auckland Hawke's Bay Wellington Canterbury Taranaki Otago Auckland Manawatu Counties 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 |
Wellington Taranaki Auckland Manawatu Manawatu Manawatu Manawatu Manawatu Southland Counties Otago Hawke's Bay South Canterbury Hawke's Bay Wellington Taranaki Wellington Hawke's Bay North Auckland Hawke's Bay North Auckland North Auckland Auckland Auckland Counties Canterbury Canterbury Counties Taranaki Wellington Counties South Canterbury Auckland Otago South Canterbury Southland North Auckland Southland South Canterbury Otago Otago Hawke's Bay Southland Canterbury Auckland Otago Counties Taranaki Southland Canterbury South Canterbury North Auckland Canterbury Taranaki Wellington |
Pukekohe Palmerston North Napier Pukekohe Auckland Timaru Dunedin Invercargill Timaru Whangarei Invercargill Christchurch Christchurch Whangarei Dunedin Timaru Invercargill Dunedin New Plymouth Invercargill Timaru Wellington New Plymouth Timaru Invercargill Whangarei Auckland Dunedin Hastings Palmerston North Christchurch Wellington Wellington Christchurch Hastings New Plymouth Palmerston North Auckland Pukekohe New Plymouth Auckland Palmerston North Whangarei Wellington Pukekohe Whangarei Napier Wellington Christchurch New Plymouth Dunedin Auckland Palmerston North Pukekohe Napier |
23 17 4 21 6 7 14 14 0 7 6 23 18 12 9 10 16 20 15 15 6 22 10 3 13 13 7 9 10 13 6 26 12 15 7 15 10 15 24 25 21 21 13 29 12 26 7 19 21 26 12 15 4 11 10 |
4 17 9 4 24 26 16 6 6 26 7 0 7 3 14 0 7 10 26 7 10 10 13 21 10 21 13 19 10 6 21 10 6 21 25 10 12 12 12 3 10 10 6 7 10 10 8 15 16 10 12 0 15 23 18 |
Hawke's Bay were relegated to Division 2 (NI).
South Canterbury played against the winner of the Division 2 (SI), Marlborough. The match was a 10-10 draw so South Canterbury remained in Division 1.
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | Points |
| Bay Of Plenty | 8 | 7 | 1 | 160 | 84 | 14 | |
| Waikato | 8 | 7 | 1 | 205 | 77 | 14 | |
| Wanganui | 8 | 6 | 2 | 117 | 71 | 12 | |
| Horowhenua | 8 | 4 | 4 | 101 | 128 | 8 | |
| Poverty Bay | 8 | 4 | 4 | 128 | 127 | 8 | |
| Thames Valley | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 88 | 167 | 7 |
| King Country | 8 | 2 | 6 | 106 | 152 | 4 | |
| Wairarapa Bush | 8 | 2 | 6 | 108 | 105 | 4 | |
| East Coast | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 85 | 187 | 1 |
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July 15 July 22 July 29 August 5 August 10 August 12 August 19 August 20 August 23 August 26 August 29 August 31 September 2 September 7 September 10 September 11 September 13 September 16 September 20 September 23 September 24 September 30 |
Wanganui East Coast King Country Horowhenua King Country Wanganui Thames Valley East Coast King Country Horowhenua Bay Of Plenty Wairarapa Bush Waikato Wanganui Poverty Bay Waikato Bay Of Plenty King Country Thames Valley Wairarapa Bush Thames Valley Waikato Wairarapa Bush Horowhenua Thames Valley Bay Of Plenty Poverty Bay Horowhenua East Coast Bay Of Plenty Poverty Bay Wairarapa Bush East Coast Poverty Bay Wanganui Waikato |
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 |
Horowhenua Bay Of Plenty Thames Valley Wairarapa Bush Poverty Bay Thames Valley Bay Of Plenty Poverty Bay Waikato East Coast King Country East Coast Thames Valley King Country Thames Valley Wairarapa Bush Horowhenua East Coast Horowhenua Wanganui East Coast Horowhenua Poverty Bay Poverty Bay Wairarapa Bush Wairarapa Bush Wanganui King Country Wanganui Wanganui Waikato King Country Waikato Bay Of Plenty Waikato Bay Of Plenty |
Wanganui Te Araroa Te Kuiti Levin Taumarunui Wanganui Te Aroha Tolaga Bay Otorohanga Levin Rotorua Masterton Hamilton Wanganui Gisborne Hamilton Rotorua Turangi Thames Masterton Waihi Hamilton Pahiatua Levin Paeroa Rotorua Gisborne Levin Tokomaru Bay Rotorua Gisborne Masterton Ruatoria Gisborne Wanganui Hamilton |
14 12 23 6 19 17 11 6 6 19 23 26 45 4 17 23 31 26 0 9 9 34 30 7 16 18 7 17 10 10 3 10 15 19 18 3 |
6 30 25 0 28 7 22 21 34 16 10 6 0 3 20 14 15 11 22 17 9 9 6 27 12 7 15 6 25 7 16 13 31 14 19 12 |
Bay Of Plenty were automatically promoted to Division 1.
| Team | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | For | Against | Points |
| Marlborough | 5 | 5 | 0 | 124 | 33 | 10 | |
| Nelson Bays | 5 | 4 | 1 | 76 | 54 | 8 | |
| Mid Canterbury | 5 | 3 | 2 | 49 | 41 | 6 | |
| North Otago | 5 | 2 | 3 | 55 | 94 | 4 | |
| West Coast | 5 | 1 | 4 | 53 | 81 | 2 | |
| Buller | 5 | 0 | 5 | 27 | 81 | 0 | |
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June 5 June 24 July 6 July 8 July 11 July 22 August 12 August 17 August 19 August 20 August 28 September 8 September 10 September 16 |
Buller West Coast West Coast Buller Nelson Bays Nelson Bays North Otago Mid Canterbury Marlborough Nelson Bays Buller North Otago Nelson Bays Marlborough Mid Canterbury |
v v v v v v v v v v v v v v v |
Nelson Bays Buller Mid Canterbury Mid Canterbury Marlborough Mid Canterbury Buller Marlborough North Otago North Otago Marlborough West Coast West Coast West Coast North Otago |
Westport Greymouth Greymouth Westport Motueka Motueka Oamaru Ashburton Blenheim Nelson Westport Oamaru Motueka Blenheim Ashburton |
6 17 9 6 6 8 12 0 35 26 3 10 23 32 23 |
13 6 10 16 19 0 6 15 18 12 23 4 17 6 3 |
Marlborough, as winners of Division 2 (SI) played against the bottom placed SI team in Division 1, South Canterbury, in a promotion/relegation match.
The match was a 10-10 draw so Marlborough stayed in Division 2 (SI).