Taranaki and Otago advance to NPC semifinals after quarterfinal wins
Saturday 10 October 2026 · 4 outlets · 7 reports · updated In this story All Blacks, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Otago, North Harbour, Kini Naholo
Taranaki defeated North Harbour 50-31 in Albany, led by a Bradley Slater hat-trick. Meanwhile, Otago secured a place in the semifinals by beating Hawke’s Bay 50-14 in Dunedin. Both teams scored multiple tries to ensure their progression in the competition.
Key facts
4 facts
- Taranaki defeated North Harbour 50-31 in Albany
- Otago defeated Hawke's Bay 50-14 in Dunedin
- Bradley Slater scored a hat-trick for Taranaki
- Northland was the first team to qualify for the semifinals
The full story
1 min read · 4 outlets
Taranaki secured a place in the NPC semifinals by defeating North Harbour 50-31 in Albany. All Black hooker Bradley Slater scored a hat-trick, including three tries from mauls. Taranaki trailed 14-5 early in the match but took a 17-14 lead at halftime.
Otago also progressed to the semifinals with a 50-14 win over Hawke’s Bay at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin. Otago scored seven tries and never trailed during the contest. The victory follows Otago's qualification for the semifinals for the second consecutive season.
In the Taranaki match, North Harbour winger Rory Taylor scored two first-half tries. Taranaki's second-half surge included tries from Kini Naholo, Michael Loft, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens, and Vereniki Tikoisolomone. North Harbour scored three late tries to finish the game.
The Otago match saw tries from Christian Lio-Willie, Kieran McClea, Saula Ma’u, Henry Bell, Sam Nemec-Vial, Joel Lam, and Harry Irving. Hawke’s Bay scored via Folau Fakatava, who scored both a try and a penalty try. Otago led 24-7 at halftime.
How it developed
- Sat 10 Oct, 5:50pmTaranaki's victory was achieved despite the absence of Josh Jacomb, Scott Barrett, and Josh Lord.
Where reports differ
- Reports differ on the halftime score for the Taranaki vs North Harbour match, with one stating 17-14 and another stating North Harbour led 14-6.
- One report states North Harbour led 14-5 early in the match, while another says they led 14-6.
Compiled from reports by Stuff, NZ Herald, The Post and Otago Daily Times.
