The 2020 Farah Palmer Cup season was the 14th season of New Zealand's women's provincial rugby union competition since it changed formats in 2006, having not been held in 2010. The regular season began on 5 September with Waikato hosting a match against Northland. It involved the top thirteen rugby unions of New Zealand. The competition is known as the Farah Palmer Cup after former Black Ferns captain, Farah Palmer and it is the fifth season under this name. To cut down on travel, the teams were split into North and South pools for the 2020 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus no promotion or relegation was applied.

2020 Farah Palmer Cup season
CountriesNew Zealand New Zealand
Date5 September – 31 October 2020
ChampionsCanterbury
Runners-upWaikato
Matches played39
Tries scored377
(average 9.7 per match)
Top point scorerKendra Cocksedge (Canterbury)
80 points
Official website
www.provincial.rugby/farah-palmer-cup/
← 2019
2021 →

Format

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The Farah Palmer Cup standings are sorted by a competition points system. Four points are awarded to the winning team, a draw earns two points, whilst a loss amounts to zero points. Unions can also win their side a respectable bonus point. To receive a bonus point, they must score four tries or more, or lose by seven points or less.[1] Each team is placed on their total points received. If a tiebreaker is necessary, when two or more teams finish on equal points, the union who acquired more competition points against the other tied team(s) gets placed higher. In the case that separation is still not made, the winner of the head-to-head result between the teams will get rights to be ranked above.[2] This seeding format was only implemented for the 2020 competition.

The regular season consists of two types of matches. Each union play home or away games against each team from their division, making a total of six competition games during the regular season for each union in the North pool, and five regular season games for those in the South pool.[3] The finals format sees the top two teams from each pool qualify for cross-over semi-finals. The top placed teams in each pool, based on table points, receive a home semi-final. In the first round of the finals, the semi-finals, the top placed North team is to host the second-placed South team, and the first-placed South team is to host the Second placed North team. The final is to be hosted by the top remaining seed.

Standings

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Key: JST - JJ Stewart Trophy holders

* - If three or more Provincial Unions are tied on points, the team with the most competition points against the other tied teams advances. In this instance, Auckland and Northland had six points, Counties Manukau had five. Auckland got six points out of their games with Counties Manukau and Northland (1 against Counties and 5 against Northland). Counties got five points against Auckland and none against Northland, Northland got six points (1 against Auckland and five against Counties). That meant it was between Auckland and Northland, and with Auckland beating Northland head-to-head in pool play, they claim the semi-final position.

Standings progression

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North Division
Team W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7
Auckland 5
(2nd)
10
(1st)
11
(2nd)
16
(1st)
21
(1st)
21
(2nd)
21
(2nd)
Bay of Plenty 0
(4th)
5
(4th)
5
(4th)
10
(3rd)
11
(4th)
12
(5th)
12
(5th)
Counties Manukau 5
(1st)
5
(3rd)
10
(3rd)
10
(4th)
12
(3rd)
16
(4th)
21
(4th)
North Harbour 0
(5th)
0
(7th)
2
(6th)
2
(7th)
2
(7th)
2
(7th)
2
(7th)
Northland 0
(5th)
1
(5th)
1
(7th)
6
(5th)
11
(5th)
16
(3rd)
21
(3rd)
Taranaki 0
(6th)
0
(6th)
5
(5th)
5
(6th)
5
(6th)
5
(6th)
5
(6th)
Waikato 4
(3rd)
9
(2nd)
13
(1st)
13
(2nd)
18
(2nd)
23
(1st)
28
(1st)
South Division
Team W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7
Canterbury 0
(1st)
5
(2nd)
10
(2nd)
15
(1st)
20
(1st)
20
(1st)
25
(1st)
Hawke's Bay 0
(2nd)
0
(4th)
0
(5th)
0
(5th)
5
(5th)
5
(5th)
5
(5th)
Manawatu 0
(3rd)
0
(5th)
5
(3rd)
10
(3rd)
15
(2nd)
15
(2nd)
20
(2nd)
Otago 0
(4th)
5
(3rd)
5
(4th)
10
(4th)
10
(4th)
10
(4th)
12
(4th)
Tasman 0
(5th)
0
(6th)
0
(6th)
0
(6th)
0
(6th)
0
(6th)
0
(6th)
Wellington 0
(6th)
5
(1st)
10
(1st)
12
(2nd)
12
(3rd)
12
(3rd)
16
(3rd)

The table above shows a team's progression throughout the season.
For each week, their cumulative points total is shown with the overall division log position in brackets.
Key: win draw loss bye

Regular season

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The 2020 Farah Palmer Cup was played across seven weeks. The competition started on Saturday, 5 September 2020, with Waikato hosting a match against Northland at University of Waikato in Hamilton.

Week 1

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5 September 2020 Waikato 18–5 Northland  
5 September 2020 Counties Manukau 89–3 North Harbour  
6 September 2020 Otago 29–20 Hawke's Bay  

Bye: Bay of Plenty, South Division Teams

Week 2

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11 September 2020 North Harbour 17–67 Bay of Plenty  
12 September 2020 Waikato 76–14 Taranaki  
12 September 2020 Manawatu 10–36 Canterbury  
12 September 2020 Tasman 0–62 Wellington  
13 September 2020 Northland 22–29 Auckland  
13 September 2020 Otago 29–20 Hawke's Bay  

Bye: Counties Manukau

Week 3

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19 September 2020 Wellington 67–17 Hawke's Bay  
19 September 2020 JJ –Canterbury 85–10 Otago  
19 September 2020 Taranaki 32–29 North Harbour  
19 September 2020 Bay of Plenty 10–21 Waikato  
20 September 2020 Manawatu 88–0 Tasman  
20 September 2020 Auckland 29–43 Counties Manukau  

Bye: Northland

Week 4

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25 September 2020 Wellington 28–31 Manawatu  
26 September 2020 Tasman 24–67 Otago  
26 September 2020 North Harbour 0–72 Auckland  
26 September 2020 Bay of Plenty 73–17 Taranaki  
26 September 2020 Hawke's Bay 15–72 Canterbury  
27 September 2020 Counties Manukau 20–32 Northland  

Bye: Waikato

Week 5

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3 October 2020 Auckland 22–19 Bay of Plenty  
3 October 2020 Northland 65–5 North Harbour  
3 October 2020 Waikato 34–28 Counties Manukau  
3 October 2020 JJ – Canterbury 54–12 Wellington  
4 October 2020 Tasman 5–62 Hawke's Bay  
4 October 2020 Otago 14–28 Manawatu  

Bye: Taranaki

Week 6

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10 October 2020 North Harbour 0–62 Waikato  
10 October 2020 Counties Manukau 17–10 Bay of Plenty  
11 October 2020 Northland 77–3 Taranaki  

Bye: Auckland, South Division Teams

Week 7

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16 October 2020 Hawke's Bay 12–29 Manawatu  
17 October 2020 JJ – Canterbury 84–0 Tasman  
17 October 2020 Bay of Plenty 0–32 Northland  
17 October 2020 Taranaki 3–107 Counties Manukau  
18 October 2020 Wellington 27–24 Otago  
18 October 2020 Waikato 17–26 Auckland  

Bye: North Harbour

Play-offs

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Semi-finals Final
      
1 Waikato 31
4 Manawatu 14
1 Waikato 7
2 Canterbury 8
2 Canterbury 36
3 Auckland 21

Semi-finals

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25 October 2020
16:35 NZST
Canterbury36–21Auckland
Try: McGoverne 9', 41', 49' m
Bremner 37'
Curtis 40+3'
Nelles 69'
Con: Cocksedge (3/6) 10', 42', 69'
Try: Elliot 26'
Fitzpatrick 52'
Abraham 63'
Con: Maliepo (0/3)
Pen: Maliepo (2/2) 24', 56'
Rugby Park, Christchurch
Referee: Lauren Jenner (New Zealand)
25 October 2020
14:05 NZST
Waikato31–14Manawatu
Try: Alley 3'
Kalounivale 9'
Robins-Reti 33'
Fluhler 47', 56'
Con: Alley (3/5) 4', 34', 57'
Cards: Robins-Reti   42' to 52'
Try: Lush 65' c
Sturmey 79'
Con: Winiata (2/2) 65', 80'
Central Energy Trust Arena, Palmerston North
Referee: Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand)

Finals

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31 October 2020
14:15 NZST
Canterbury8–7Waikato
Try: Nelles 80+1'
Con: Cocksedge (0/1)
Pen: Cocksedge (1/1) 31'
Try: Simon 66'
Con: Alley (1/1) 66'
Pen: Alley (0/2)
Rugby Park, Christchurch
Referee: Rebecca Mahoney (New Zealand)

JJ Stewart Trophy

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The JJ Stewart Trophy is a trophy based on a challenge system, rather than a league or knockout competition as with most football trophies. The holding union must defend the trophy in challenge matches, and if a challenger defeats them, they become the new holder of the trophy.

Canterbury started the season as holders of the trophy and as such, were obligated to place the trophy up for challenge in all of their regular season home games.

Successful JJ Stewart Trophy challenges were played by Canterbury in Round 3, Round 5 and Round 7 against Otago, Wellington and Tasman respectively.

References

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  1. ^ "Adjustment to Mitre 10 Heartland Championship bonus points system". Rugby Heartland. 2 September 2016.
  2. ^ "SEMI-FINALISTS DECIDED IN THE FARAH PALMER CUP" (pdf). New Zealand Rugby. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  3. ^ "2020 FARAH PALMER CUP DRAW RELEASED". All Blacks. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
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