The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union (MCRFU) is a rugby province in the South Island of New Zealand.

History

The Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union was formed in 1904 as Ashburton Country when it broke away from the Canterbury Rugby Football Union

Canterbury Rugby Football Union

The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...

. The union changed its name to Mid Canterbury in 1927.

Representative Rugby

The Mid Canterbury team play from Ashburton Showgrounds, Ashburton

Ashburton, New Zealand

Ashburton is a town and district in the Canterbury Region on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is the third-largest centre in Canterbury, after Christchurch and Timaru. The area around Ashburton is frequently referred to as Mid Canterbury, which is also the name of the...

 and in the 2006 season are in Pool B of 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,...

. They are seeded 9th for the Championship as they finished 5th in the 3rd division in 2005.

Clubs

Mid Canterbury Rugby Football Union is made up of 9 clubs:

• Allenton
• Celtic
• Collegiate
• Hampstead
• Methven
• Mt Somers
• Rakaia
• Southern
• Tinwald

Mid Canterbury in Super Rugby

Mid Canterbury along with Canterbury

Canterbury Rugby Football Union

The Canterbury Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the Canterbury region, in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand...

, Tasman

Tasman Rugby Union

The Tasman Rugby Union is the governing body for rugby union at the top of the South Island in New Zealand. It is New Zealand's newest provincial union, founded in 2006 with the amalgamation of the existing Marlborough and Nelson Bays sub unions...

, Buller

Buller Rugby Football Union

The Buller Rugby Union is a rugby province based in the town of Westport, New Zealand. The Buller provincial boundary also includes other notable towns such as Reefton, Karamea, Granity, Charleston, Punakaiki and Murchison .-History:Buller was formed in 1894...

, South Canterbury

South Canterbury Rugby Football Union

The South Canterbury Rugby Football Union is a rugby province based in the central South Island city of Timaru, New Zealand. The South Canterbury team play from Alpine Energy Stadium located in Timaru.-History:...

 and West Coast

West Coast Rugby Football Union

The West Coast Rugby Football Union, formed in 1890, is the official governing body for rugby union in a substantial part of the West Coast region of New Zealand and is affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Union. The team is based in Greymouth and plays home matches at Rugby Park....

 make up the Crusaders Super 14

Super 14

Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...

 franchise.

Championships

Mid Canterbury won the 2nd division South Island in 1980,1983 and the 3rd division in 1994 and 1998.

Heartland Championship placings

Heartland Championship Results
Year	Played	Win	Draw	Loss	PF	PA	Diff	BP	Points	Place	Playoffs
2006	8	4	0	4	155	178	-22	3	19	4th	lost 17-30 Wanganui Wanganui Rugby Football Union The Wanganui Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in the Wanganui region of New Zealand. The Wanganui Rugby Football Union was formed in 1888....  (Meads Cup)

Hanan Shield

The Hanan Shield

Hanan Shield

The Hanan Shield is one of the most prestigious trophies in New Zealand's domestic rugby union competition. First played for in 1946 after being presented by the Mayor of Timaru, A.E.S. Hanan. The Hanan Shield is based on a challenge system played between North Otago, South Canterbury and Mid...

 is one of the most prestigious trophy in New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

's domestic rugby union

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...

 competition. First played for in 1946, the Hanan Shield is based on a challenge system played between 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...

, South Canterbury

South Canterbury Rugby Football Union

The South Canterbury Rugby Football Union is a rugby province based in the central South Island city of Timaru, New Zealand. The South Canterbury team play from Alpine Energy Stadium located in Timaru.-History:...

 and Mid Canterbury.

All Blacks

There have only been 3 players selected for the All Blacks

All Blacks

The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....

whilst playing their club rugby in Mid Canterbury.

• D.H Cameron
• R.G Perry
• J.C Ross

External links

• Official Site