Rugby: Otago, North Harbour open 2011 provincial season

Ben Botica of North Harbour is tackled by Adam Thomson of Otago. Photo / Getty Images

The draw for this year's restructured national provincial rugby championship was released today.

The new eight-week competition begins on July 14, when Otago host North Harbour. It involves 14 teams, with games scheduled from Tuesday through to Sunday each week.

Teams are split into premiership and championship competitions, with Canterbury, Waikato, Auckland, Wellington, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty and Southland in the top tier.

Hawke's Bay, Counties Manukau, Northland, North Harbour, Tasman, Manawatu and Otago will contest the championship competition.

Both competitions will play a round robin of home and away matches. In addition, all 14 teams will play four cross-over matches - two home and two away - where premiership and championship teams meet.

All matches carry full competition points, with the finals scheduled for September 3, a week before the rugby World Cup begins in New Zealand.

Semifinals won't be played this year because of the World Cup, but will return in 2012.

The seventh-placed team in the premiership is automatically relegated to the 2012 championship, while the winner of the championship is automatically promoted to the next year's premiership competition.

Ranfurly Shield holders Canterbury face their first challenge in the third round of the competition, when they host Southland.

NPC rugby draw

Round 1:

July 14: Otago v North Harbour, Dunedin. July 15: Southland v Waikato, Invercargill. July 16: Manawatu v Hawke's Bay, Palmerston North; Northland v Tasman, Whangarei; Taranaki v Wellington, New Plymouth. Sunday: Auckland v Canterbury, Auckland; Counties Manukau v Bay of Plenty, Pukekohe.

Round 2:

July 19: North Harbour v Tasman, Albany; Hawke's Bay v Southland, Napier. July 20: Counties Manukau v Manawatu, Pukekohe; Auckland v Otago, Auckland.

Round 3:

July 21 : Waikato v Taranaki, Hamilton. July 22: Canterbury v Southland (RS), Christchurch. July 23: Manawatu v Northland, Palmerston North; Bay of Plenty v North Harbour, Mount Maunganui; Wellington v Auckland, Wellington. July 24: Hawke's Bay v Otago, Napier; Tasman v Counties Manukau, Blenheim.

Round 4:

July 26: Bay of Plenty v Waikato,TBA. July 27: Wellington v Canterbury, Wellington; Northland v Taranaki, Whangarei.

Round 5:

July 28: North Harbour v Hawke's Bay, Albany. July 29: Southland v Counties, Invercargill; Waikato v Tasman, Hamilton. July 30: Canterbury v Manawatu (RS), Christchurch; Northland v Otago, Whangarei. July 31: Taranaki v Auckland, New Plymouth; Bay of Plenty v Wellington, Mount Maunganui.

Round 6:

August 2: Hawke's Bay v Tasman, Napier; Manawatu v North Harbour, Palmerston North. August 3: Otago v Counties Manukau, Dunedin; Auckland v Southland, Auckland.

Round 7:

August 4: Northland v Bay of Plenty, Whangarei. August 5: Tasman v Canterbury, Blenheim; Hawke's Bay v Wellington, Napier. August 6: Otago v Southland, Dunedin; Manawatu v Taranaki, Palmerston North. August 7: Counties Manukau v Waikato, Pukekohe; North Harbour v Auckland, Albany.

Round 8:

August 8: Taranaki v Bay of Plenty, New Plymouth. August 9: Canterbury v Waikato (RS), Christchurch; Wellington v Northland, Wellington.

Round 9:

August 11: Auckland v Counties Manukau, Auckland; August 12: Taranaki v Tasman, New Plymouth. August 13: Southland v North Harbour, Invercargill; Bay of Plenty v Hawke's Bay, Rotorua; Wellington v Manawatu, Wellington. August 14: Waikato v Otago, Hamilton; Canterbury v Northland (RS), Christchurch.

Round 10:

August 16: Tasman v Auckland, Nelson; August 17: Counties Manukau v North Harbour, Pukekohe; Otago v Manawatu, Dunedin.

Round 11:

August 18: Wellington v Southland, Wellington. August 19: Canterbury v Taranaki (RS), Christchurch. August 20: Auckland v Bay of Plenty, Auckland; North Harbour v Northland, Albany; Manawatu v Waikato, Palmerston North. August 21: Tasman v Otago, Nelson; Hawke's Bay v Counties Manukau, Napier.

Round 12:

August 23: Bay of Plenty v Canterbury, TBA; Waikato v Wellington, Hamilton. August 24: Northland v Hawke's Bay, Whangarei; Southland v Taranaki, Invercargill.

Round 13:

August 25: Tasman v Manawatu, Nelson; August 26: North Harbour v Wellington, Albany. August 27: Waikato v Auckland, Hamilton; Counties Manukau v Northland, Pukekohe; Otago v Canterbury, Dunedin; August 28: Southland v Bay of Plenty, Invercargill; Taranaki v Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth.

Finals: weekend of September 3.

- NZPA