Domestic rugby season preparations are in full swing with the 2022 seasons announced for all provincial rugby including the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship.

Following a unique 2021, which included All Blacks great Ma'a Nonu playing for East Coast and current All Blacks captain Sam Cane taking the field for King Country, the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship will kick off in Westport on 20th of August where Buller will play Mid Canterbury. The Bill Osborne Taonga, introduced in 2021, will be defended for the first time by Poverty Bay, who will play Wairarapa Bush on 27th of August at Rugby Park in Gisborne. 

The 12-team Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship feautures an eight-week round robin with the top four teams going through to the Meads Cup semi-finals and the next four teams head in to Lochore Cup semi-finals. Both finals are scheduled for the weekend of 22-23 October. Defending Meads Cup Champions South Canterbury kick off their season against Thames Valley and Lochore Cup holders Whanganui play West Coast in Greymouth in Round one. 

This season the Mid Canterbury Heartland team have four home games with the first home game on the 27th August against East Coast, they then play against the West Coast at the Showgrounds on the 3rd of September, they then have a week on the road before returning to the Showgrounds on the 17th of September against King Country and the last game of the season they play against South Canterbury on the first of the October. 

The away games that the Heartland side have are the opening game of the season against Buller at Westport on the 20th of August, the next away game is against North Otago at Kurow on the 10th of September, they then play Horowhenua Kapiti at the Levin Domain on the 24th of  September and the last game of the round robin is away at Whanganui against Whanganui on the 8th of October. 

Heartland Coach, John Sherratt, is rather happy with the draw as playing away from home in the first game gives the team an opportunity to get to know each other and to further establish their identity and culture. Then with the next two games being at home, Sherratt thinks it's a great opportunity to connect with the local community, family and to show what the team are about in 2022. 

Article added: Wednesday 18 May 2022