Rugby: Boost in Div 1 team as club draw released

Two extra teams will compete in Taranaki Rugby’s Division 1 grade following the release of the CMK club rugby draws that week.

After several strong campaigns in the lower tier, Pātea and Bell Block both earned promotion from Division 2 into Division 1, expanding the competition to 10 teams.

Their inclusion meant more clubs played at the second‑tier senior level, creating extra local derbies and more meaningful away trips through the season.

The expanded Division 1 schedule sat inside the wider 14‑week club season, which kicks off on Saturday, March 28 and will run through to its finals day at Stadium Taranaki on Saturday, July 11.

There were several other notable changes across the grades for next season.

Stratford Eltham will field a women’s team for the first time in a number of seasons after Stratford was the sole Taranaki women’s club team for a number of years, while New Plymouth Old Boys will run a Colts side, further boosting the depth across club rugby in Taranaki.

Adding to that, Kaitake returned to the Division 2 grade after being missing for several seasons.

Eight teams remained in the premier competition, with the repeat of that year’s final between defending champions Stratford-Eltham and Coastal scheduled to be played on the final week of the first round in May.

Premier men’s will play a 14‑week, two round‑robin and will run through to Saturday, June 27, with semifinals on July 4.

Division 1 and Colts followed the same start date and weekly schedule as Premier men, with Colts playing a partial round and one full round.

Division 2, which will also play one partial round and then one full round, will start slightly later, joining from week 3 on Saturday, April 11 and then running through the same weekly calendar until the shared semifinals and finals dates.

All grades were underway on Anzac Weekend.