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Heartland Championship: Quarter-finalists confirmed as final-round drama looms
Duncan Perkinson • September 30th, 2026 10:38 am
With their win over Buller, King Country have locked away the Bill Osborne Taonga for the summer | Photo: King Country RFC
The penultimate round of the Heartland Championship on the weekend delivered a thrilling finish, confirmed the eight quarter-finalists and left plenty to play for in the final round-robin matches this weekend.
Kevin Hare joined Sport Nation Mornings to review the weekend, and he praised both King Country and their prolific goal-kicker, Hone Mathieson.
King Country lead the table by four points from Mid Canterbury, and will hold onto the Bill Osborne Taonga for the summer having comprehensively beaten Buller 57–12 at Taumarunui Domain on Saturday.
Because they are away from home this weekend, and can’t lose the Bill Osborne during the playoffs, Hare told Sport Nation that King Country “can lock that away now.”
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The game of the weekend was Thames Valley’s 43–42 win over South Canterbury in Whitianga. South Canterbury led 42–40 before Quinn Collard landed a penalty in the 81st minute to snatch victory.
Hare told Sport Nation: “It was 42-40 to South Canterbury and then Quinn Collard stepped up in the 81st minute of injury time and slotted a very well placed penalty, to take that victory 43-42.”
The eight confirmed quarter-finalists are King Country, Mid Canterbury, Thames Valley, North Otago, South Canterbury, Horowhenua-Kapiti, Whanganui and Wairarapa Bush.
Poverty Bay, Buller, East Coast and West Coast have all missed out this season.
The standout fixture this coming weekend is Mid Canterbury against Thames Valley, with the winner likely to earn a home semi-final in a fortnight’s time.
“The winner of this will get a home semi-final, so that puts even more spice into the action," Hare said.
Hare is tipping Mid Canterbury to win at home at Ashburton.
Listen to the full interview below:
