ITM Cup

The build up to the ITM caused our correspondent, Scott Donaldson, great excitement before the weekend. How was he feeling Monday morning? What sort of rugby had been delivered?

Waking up this morning, we expected to see reports of the Women's Rugby World Cup, the ruthlessness of England, the catalyst for rugby growth in Ireland, the French crowds and that 90 metre Canadian try.

We talked rugby to a great many spectators and players in 2013 about the game, its structure and its prospects.

Scott Donaldson, our New Zealand reporter, looks at the issue of loyalty in rugby, as he continues his coverage of domestic rugby in the country.

Throughout 2013 Scott has brought Talking Rugby Union readers news, commentary and insights about Southern Hemisphere rugby.

Australian Rugby Union have today announced that they will launch a new domestic competition in 2014, the National Rugby Championship.

New Zealand giants Canterbury won their sixth successive ITM Cup Premiership title when they convincingly beat Wellington 29-13, in Wellington on Saturday night.

The ITM Cup Championship Final was one of the games of the season, a perfect finale to the competition’s second tier, as Tasman won promotion after a nail-biting 26-25 victory over Hawke’s Bay at Trafalgar Park on Friday night.

The 2013 ITM Cup comes to its conclusion this weekend as both the Premiership and Championship competitions are decided.

The ITM Cup semi-finals produced two one-sided matches as Canterbury and Wellington set up a mouth-watering final by beating Auckland and Counties.

This important competition for New Zealand Rugby Union has been closely followed by Talking Rugby Union this year with great rugby insight from Scotty Donaldson.

For six of the 14 teams competing in the ITM Cup, the 2013 season has already come to an end so here's our look at who has had a hot season, and who has had one to forget.

A preview of round 9 of the ITM Cup in New Zealand where the key game is likely to be between Counties and Southland Stags.

The ITM Cup Round 8 is the penultimate round of the competition with the Wellington vs Auckland match the obvious highlight.

The seventh round of the ITM Cup saw plenty of tries as well as a few upsets, making it another exciting weekend of action.

The sixth round of the ITM Cup is already upon us and it promises to be the most exciting round yet.

Incredibly every game of the fifth round of the 2013 ITM Cup was won by the home side, despite any of the forms that were brought into the round.

The fifth round of the ITM Cup is now well underway as Taranaki hosted Hawke’s Bay in atrocious conditions last night in New Plymouth.

Counties Manukau grabbed the headlines of the fourth round of the ITM Cup by winning the Ranfurly Shield from Hawkes Bay on Saturday night.

Two new teams will compete for the Ranfurly Shield this week when the title’s latest holders, Hawkes Bay, take on Counties Manukau in the round’s most anticipated fixture.