2011 ITM Cup
| 2011 ITM Cup season | |
|---|---|
| Countries |
 New Zealand
|
| Date | 14 July – 4 September 2011 |
| Champions | Canterbury |
| Runners-up | Waikato |
| Promoted | Hawke's Bay |
| Relegated | Southland |
| Matches played | 76 |
| Tries scored | 448 (average 5.895 per match) |
| Top point scorer |
Andrew Horrell (Hawke's Bay) 152 points |
| Top try scorer |
Sherwin Stowers (Counties Manukau) 9 tries |
| Official website | |
| www |
|
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← 2010
2012 →
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The 2011 ITM Cup season was the sixth season since the competition reconstruction in 2006 and the first under the new Premiership and Championship format. For the ITM Cup competition it involved the top 14 provincial unions of New Zealand. The tournament was won by Canterbury, who defeated Waikato 12–3 in the competition final. For sponsorship reasons, the competition was known as the ITM Cup and it was currently the second season under the new sponsor. Including the defunct National Provincial Championship, this is the 35th season of New Zealand's premier domestic competition. The regular season matches took place from 14 July until 30 August – followed by the final on 3 September. It finished without semi-finals to allow more time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup to be held in September and October; in future non-World Cup years, the competition will extend into semi-finals.
The 2011 season saw the arrival of the new Premiership and Championship division format. The 14 teams were grouped based on their on-field finishing positions in 2010 plus a promotion/relegation between the winner of the Championship receiving automatic promotion to the Premiership replacing the seventh placed team in the Premiership which will be relegated to the Championship.
Covering 8 weeks, the schedule features a total of 72 matches. The 14 teams are grouped and divided into two divisions of seven teams, labeled the Premiership Division and the Championship Division. They are based on their on-field finishing positions following the previous year, teams finishing 1-7 will form the Premiership, teams finishing 8-14 will form the Championship. Including a promotion/relegation process between the winner of the Championship receiving automatic promotion to the Premiership replacing the seventh placed team in the Premiership which will be relegated to the Championship for the following year. The regular season consists of two types of matches:
The top four teams of each division, will move on to the finals. The top two division winners, based on table points, received a home semi-final. In the first round of the finals, the semi-finals, the second division winner hosts the third division winner, and the first division winner hosts the fourth division winner. The final is hosted by the top remaining seed.
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