Women's Provincial Championship
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1999 |
| Owner(s) | New Zealand Rugby Union |
| No. of teams | 9 |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Most recent champion(s) |
Counties Manukau Heat (1st Title) |
| Most titles | Auckland Storm (15 Titles) |
| TV partner(s) | Sky Sport |
| Related competitions |
JJ Stewart Trophy ITM Cup |
The Farah Palmer Cup (formerly known as Women's Provincial Championship or WPC), is the highest level domestic women's rugby competition in New Zealand. This contest is held annually from late August to early November and managed by the New Zealand Rugby Union, or NZRU. The competition was first introduced in 1999, with a total of fourteen teams competing initially. The number of teams increased to eighteen in the year 2000, but has decreased to as few as six teams, with nine currently featured. The Auckland Storm are the current holders of the JJ Stewart Trophy, the women’s equivalent of the Ranfurly Shield.
All teams are required to face each other at least once, with the top four teams in the championship proceeding to the semi-finals. From 2011 to 2014, the semi-finals round was eliminated and the top two teams in the championship automatically qualified for the finals. In 2015, the semi-finals round was reintroduced.
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