2015 ITM Cup
| 2015 ITM Cup season | |
|---|---|
| Countries |
 New Zealand
|
| Date | 13 August – 24 October 2015 |
| Champions | Canterbury |
| Runners-up | Auckland |
| Promoted | Hawke's Bay |
| Relegated | Manawatu |
| Matches played | 76 |
| Tries scored | 498 (average 6.553 per match) |
| Top point scorer |
Tom Taylor (Canterbury) 144 points |
| Top try scorer |
George Moala (Auckland) Rob Thompson (Canterbury) 10 tries |
| Official website | |
| www |
|
|
← 2014
2016 →
|
|
The 2015 ITM Cup season was the tenth year running since the competition reconstruction in 2006 and the fifth under the new Premiership and Championship format. For the ITM Cup competition it involved the top 14 provincial unions of New Zealand. For sponsorship reasons, the competition was known as the ITM Cup and it was currently the sixth season under the new sponsor. Including the defunct National Provincial Championship, this is the 38th season of New Zealand's premier domestic competition. The regular season matches took place every Thursday to Sunday from 13 August until 23 August and then every Wednesday to Sunday from 26 August until 11 October – followed by the semi-finals that culminated in the final on 24 October.
The 2015 season saw Manawatu enter the Premiership division for the first time, having replaced the relegated Wellington. Manawatu achieved three victories in their inaugural division, and finished last following the regular season.
Covering 11 weeks, with nine weeks of competition and two weeks for the semifinals and finals, the schedule features a total of 76 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.
There is also the Ranfurly Shield. It is automatically contested when the holder of the shield plays at home in any round (excluding semis and final).
...
Wikipedia