Northland advances to first NPC final after defeating Otago
Friday 16 October 2026 · 4 outlets · 7 reports · updated In this story Northland, Otago, Northland Taniwha
Northland secured a place in their first NPC final with a 38-19 victory over Otago in Whangārei on Friday night. The Taniwha's win follows a historic season that included ending a 48-year Ranfurly Shield drought. They now await the result of the other semifinal between Taranaki and Canterbury.
Key facts
4 facts
- Northland defeated Otago 38-19 in the NPC semifinal on Friday night
- The match was played at Semenoff Stadium in Whangārei
- This is the first time Northland has reached an NPC final
- Northland finished the regular season in second place
The full story
1 min read · 4 outlets
Northland has advanced to its first NPC final following a 38-19 victory against Otago in Whangārei on Friday night. The Taniwha secured the win at Semenoff Stadium despite rainy conditions.
The match was closely contested at halftime, with Northland leading 17-14 after a late try. The momentum shifted in the second half when Northland's pack forced an Otago scrum backward, leading to a try by Heremaia Murray.
Marcel Renata scored two tries for Northland, while Rivez Reihana contributed four penalty goals in the first half and three more in the final 17 minutes. Nathan Salmon added a late intercept try to seal the result.
Otago's tries were scored by Kieran McClea and Christian Lio-Willie. Otago captain Christian Lio-Willie said, “Rivez and the boys controlled the game really well”.
How it developed
- Fri 16 Oct, 7:22pmThe report provided the full starting lineups and reserves for both Northland and Otago prior to kickoff.
Where reports differ
- One report states Rivez Reihana kicked four penalty goals, while another specifies he was unblemished with seven successful kicks in total
Compiled from reports by Stuff, Otago Daily Times, NZ Herald and RNZ.
