The Meads Cup is a rugby

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 cup named after the All Black Colin Meads

Colin Meads

Sir Colin Earl Meads, KNZM, MBE , is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played 55 test matches , most frequently in the lock forward position, for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, from 1957 until 1971.Meads is widely considered one of the greatest players in history...

. It is a cup played for in New Zealand between provincial rugby

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 teams. The Meads Cup is played for during the Heartland Championship

Heartland Championship

The Heartland Championship New Zealand Division One competition, known for sponsorship reasons as the AA Rewards Heartland Championship, is a domestic rugby union competition in New Zealand. It was founded in 2006 as one of two successor competitions to the country's former domestic competition,...

. It is only played for after the completion of Round 1 (pool stage).

Round 2

The Meads Cup Pool, consists of the three Provincial Unions in Pool A with the most competition points in Round 1 and the three Provincial Unions in Pool B with the most competition points in Round 1. In the Meads Cup Pool, each Provincial Union will play the Provincial Unions in the pool that it did not play in Round 1. Home games in the Meads Cup Pool will be allocated using the following criteria:

• The Provincial Unions placed 1st in Pool A and Pool B based on competition points in Round 1 will have two home games. When these two teams play each other, the team that had the most competition points in Round 1 will have the Home Match.

• Of the Provincial Unions placed 2nd in Pool A and Pool B, the Provincial Union which has the higher aggregate competition points in Round 1 will have two home games.

• All other Provincial Unions in the Meads Cup Pool will have one home game.

Round 3

The Meads Cup winner is determined in four-team single-elimination tournament. The semifinal matchups are seeded 1-4 and 2-3, with the higher seed receiving home field advantage. The highest remaining seed hosts the Meads Cup final.

Winners

Year	Meads Cup Winner
2006	Wairarapa Bush Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union The Wairarapa Bush Rugby Football Union was formed in 1971 with the amalgamation of the Wairarapa Rugby Football Union and Bush Rugby Football Union....
2007	North Otago North Otago Rugby Football Union The North Otago Rugby Football Union is a New Zealand rugby union province based in Oamaru and current holders of the Meads cup, the top trophy in the Heartland Championship. They are one of the strongest teams in The Heartland Championship, winning the Meads Cup section of the competition in its...