50 years. 50 players. 50 moments.
New Zealand's 14 NPC Unions have launched NPC50, a nationwide fan vote to crown the greatest players and moments from half a century of National Provincial Championship rugby. Phase one voting opens at npc50.nz on Thursday 21 May and runs until Thursday 4 June, with fans picking the top players and moments from their union.

Phase two opens in late July, a national vote then rolls those shortlists into the all time greatest 50, with results revealed across the 2026 NPC season. Culminating during the NPC Finals week.

The NPC has been the heartbeat of New Zealand rugby since 1976. Across half a century, the competition has produced legendary players, fierce rivalries and the moments that built provincial pride into a national tradition. NPC50 hands the celebration of that history to the people who have lived it. The fans.

The campaign will recognise more than 2,000 players and hundreds of moments across all 14 current NPC Unions, with fans ultimately deciding the greatest 50 players and moments of all time through a two phase public vote.

PU14 CEOs say NPC50 is a moment to give the competition back to the supporters who have shaped it.

"The NPC belongs to the communities and the fans who built it. Generations of New Zealanders grew up watching their province take the field, talking about the great players, the great games and the great rivalries. NPC50 is a chance for those fans to put their stamp on the history of this competition and tell us who and what really mattered."

How NPC50 works

‍Phase 1: Provincial Union voting (Thursday 21 May to Thursday 4 June 2026)

Fans visit npc50.nz, select a Provincial Union and vote for the greatest players and moments from that union's NPC history.
Player pools have been compiled from 50 years of match data and feature centurions, championship winners, captains and the players who defined what it meant to wear the jersey.
Moments capture the most significant on-field events in each union's story, from finals victories and Ranfurly Shield challenges to rivalry-defining games and iconic individual performances.
Voting resets each week through Phase 1, so fans can return and refine their picks as the campaign builds.
Every vote also goes in the draw to win prizes from each union, including two season memberships and two signed jerseys.

Phase 2: The NPC 50/50 (opens late July 2026)

The leading players and moments from each union roll up into a national vote to decide the greatest 50 players and moments. Results will be revealed in blocks of 10 across the 2026 NPC season, building to the Final 10 during NPC finals week in late October

The final result is weighted across three voting groups: fans (50%), players (25%) and media (25%), ensuring the people closest to the competition all have a voice in shaping its history.

How fans take part

1. Visit https://npc50.nz

2. Choose Canterbury as your Provincial Union

3. Vote for the players and moments you believe are the greatest

4. Come back each week as voting resets, and share your picks on social using #NPC50

Fans can also suggest players or moments missing from their union's pool directly through the website. Every union page features its full player pool, nominated moments and live voting.

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The 14 Current NPC Unions‍

Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Counties Manukau, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, North Harbour, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato and Wellington.
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Why it matters

The NPC has always been more than a competition. It's where future All Blacks took their first steps on the big stage, where towns and regions found a team to call their own, and where some of the most enduring stories in New Zealand rugby were written. NPC50 turns that history into a shared celebration as the competition heads into its 50th season.

PU14 CEOs say fans can expect the campaign to roll right through the 2026 NPC season.

"Phase 1 is about your union. Phase 2 is about the country. By the time we reach finals week we'll have crowned the greatest players and moments across 50 years of NPC rugby, voted for by the people who lived it."

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Vote now at https://npc50.nz/unions/canterbury‍

Follow the campaign with #NPC50