The match schedule for the 2009 Heartland Championship has been released with the Meads and Lochore Cups again up for grabs.
But it will be another key rugby trophy which will take centre stage ahead of the competition with Wairarapa Bush and current Meads Cup champion Wanganui challenging Wellington for domestic rugby’s “holy grail”, the Ranfurly Shield, in pre-season games on 2 and 9 July respectively.
The 2009 Heartland Championship kicks off slightly later than normal this year on Saturday 29 August. It follows the same format as previous years with the 12 teams split into two pools for five weeks of matches, with the six highest ranking teams then going on to play for the Meads Cup and the remaining six teams playing for the Lochore Cup.
The Pool A teams are West Coast, Wairarapa Bush, Buller, Horowhenua Kapiti, Wanganui and East Coast while North Otago, South Canterbury, King Country, Poverty Bay, Mid Canterbury and Thames Valley are in Pool B.
The Meads and Lochore Cup semifinals will be played on Saturday 24 October and the finals the following weekend, Saturday 31 October, the same weekend as the Air New Zealand Cup semifinals.
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